JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Pensioner begs for help after roof blows off

by

698 days ago
20230716
Ignatius Phillip Cummings, right, and his grandchildren try to do repairs on his home, after the roof was blown off by heavy winds, at Trinity Avenue, Guayaguayare.↔

Ignatius Phillip Cummings, right, and his grandchildren try to do repairs on his home, after the roof was blown off by heavy winds, at Trinity Avenue, Guayaguayare.↔

PHOTO COURTESY KELLY ANN LEMESSY

79-year-old re­tiree, Ig­natius Phillip Cum­mings is plead­ing for as­sis­tance af­ter the roof of his home blew off last week dur­ing heavy winds.

“I was in the yard when the breeze blew and the roof just stood straight up and then it just dropped on the oth­er side of the house. When the rain came down all the beds and ap­pli­ances that I had in­side there get wet. Couch, bed and oth­er things,” Cum­mings said.

Cum­mings has lived at his on Trin­i­ty Road, Guayagua­yare, for decades, mov­ing there from Moru­ga when he was just 25 years old.

When Guardian Me­dia vis­it­ed, he was sur­round­ed by his grand­chil­dren who usu­al­ly come to vis­it dur­ing the va­ca­tion pe­ri­od, but this year he has nowhere for them to stay.

His son, David Cum­mings, is wor­ried his fa­ther’s house could come down on him at any mo­ment.

“There’s very lit­tle we can do to help. Right now, this place could col­lapse at any mo­ment. Any­thing we can get to as­sist my old man would be ap­pre­ci­at­ed,” he said.

He added: “The house is not re­al­ly whole­some, it’s break­ing apart. It’s very dan­ger­ous for me stand­ing up here right now be­cause if a hard breeze blows now.”

He said the fam­i­ly sal­vaged what they could but each day the rain does more dam­age.

Cum­mings sleeps un­der the house, mov­ing around from spot- to- spot, wher­ev­er he can find a dry place.

He said of­fi­cials from the ODPM came by, and from time- to-time peo­ple drop off food items for him, but there’s noth­ing sub­stan­tial or any­thing that can help him long term.

Cum­mings usu­al­ly sus­tains him­self by plant­i­ng yams in the land near­by, and hunt­ing.

Any­one will­ing to as­sist can call 292-6132 or 287-3909.


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored