By Charminae George
The atmosphere at Devil’s Bridge was sombre yesterday as personnel from the Barnes Funeral Home placed the bodies of a five-year-old boy and his 37-year-old mother into a white hearse.
The husband and father, whose name has yet to be confirmed, was evidently distraught as he watched the heart-wrenching sight.
The family-of-three, from Toronto, Canada – who were staying in an Airbnb at Seatons – had journeyed to the popular historical attraction to watch the sunrise early Wednesday morning.
Eyewitnesses told Observer tragedy struck when the young boy reportedly slipped and instinctively reached out to his mother, with both ending up in the turbulent waters.
The father, also 37, is reported to have dived into the water in an attempt to rescue them. He is said to have been pulled out by passing joggers and given CPR.
According to the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard, the report of the mother and son falling into the water was received at 6.45am.
At 8.02am, the 37-year-old’s body was recovered from the water by emergency personnel. Then, at 9am, her son’s body was retrieved from the shoreline after it was discovered by villagers who were in the area.
One local resident who witnessed the child’s body among the waves had to pause for a second, before responding that it was as if the boy was a “rag doll” being tossed to and fro.
Along with the emergency personnel on scene was Tourism Minister Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez who, together with a local professional counsellor, was seen consoling the distraught father, a finance professional originally from India.
Speaking to Observer later, Fernandez, acknowledged that more safety measures are required at the historical site.
Currently, there is a rope barrier there, however, at the time of the incident a segment of it was missing.
That portion was removed by the Coast Guard to recover a man who drowned at the location earlier this year, and was in the process of being replaced, the Tourism Minister said.
“I spoke to them today to ensure that it is done but I don’t think that may be enough because people can walk over it. So, we still have to still look at the entire [site],” he stated.
Investigations into the tragic incident are ongoing by the police.
This drowning incident is the second one for the year at Devil’s Bridge. The first was a 68-year-old Canadian man on April 8.