Waves of grief suddenly tore through the party-like atmosphere that often grips Down the Islands on Sunday, after one teenager drowned and another was rushed to hospital following an incident off Monos Island.
The deceased was identified as 17-year-old Evan Hannays, a Form Five Fatima College student. Another boy, 15, who also got into difficulty while in the water, was at home last night after being discharged from hospital, but his relatives said he remained severely traumatised by the incident.
The police had initially indicated to Guardian Media two out of three boys who were involved in the incident had died but it was clarified yesterday that only one of them passed away.
Speaking under anonymity yesterday, the mother of the 15-year-old boy said he and the two others only met while Down the Islands on Sunday but formed an immediate bond. The other boy is also a Form Five Fatima College student and is a good friend of Hannays.
She said while playing out at sea around 1.30 pm, her son caught a cramp and swam back to the tour vessel they were on. However, she said he noticed that while the other boy made it to shore at Turtle Bay, Evan did not and an alarm was raised.
“They were swimming towards the shore and my son got a cramp so he turned back and called out to a relative and a friend was sent to get him with a noodle, as he was treading water back to the boat,” the mother recalled.
“He was bouncing to keep himself afloat and he was pulled back into the boat and that’s when they noticed the other child was on the shore and they called out for the friend and that’s when he swam back looking for the other boy.”
An eyewitness account captured the heart-breaking scene which was shared on social media.
The man is heard saying, “This is the situation down in Monos Island in the corner in the coconut, three young boys now jump off a boat, two went under, one didn’t make it.”
News of the tragedy, the mother said, left her in shambles.
She said, “I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family, you don’t expect these things to happen, this is a freak accident.”
The woman’s son, a St Anthony’s College student, was discharged from hospital yesterday. She said due to the trauma of the event, she will be seeking therapy for her son.
Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly was among those offering condolences to the Hannays’ family.
Teachers and students of Fatima College were in grief on Monday at school after learning of Hannys’ death.
There was also an outpouring of messages of condolences to his bereaved family by parents on various WhatsApp groups of the school.
Guardian Media understands Form Five students at the school will also have sessions with officials from the Student Support Services Division of the Ministry of Education.
