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Tragedy struck at Vigie Beach on Saturday when a teenager died in a suspected drowning at about noon.
Police have identified the deceased as sixteen-year-old Kelvinus Leonie of Bois Patat, Castries.
According to initial reports, Leonie attempted to retrieve an item from the water and encountered difficulty returning to shore.
He was assessed at the scene and pronounced dead.
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Wasting time teaching kids French and Spanish they will never use yet they can’t swim. We surrounded by water yet the vast majority of the population can’t swim. Teach swimming as part of PE. Clowns in the education system
Very sad, my condolences to the deceased’s family, may God strengthen you and bring healing.
Sad story. Young man lost his life just like that? Sad beyond measure
Hold strong Clement Family, my condolences. Yellow Bird ur time has come and flown away leaving your love ones with broken hearts, tears and pain. I’ll see u on the other side….
Rest in Peace Kevinus Leonce
@james…..seems like the education sector is the most hard headed sector! For decades, the most educated yet least smart lucians have been running our education system! Simple
..why not make swimming mandatory…..them clowns believe the education is all about sitting in a classroom all day…take the kids outside dammit to play, run and swim!
Condolences to the family. Stay strong in your time of grief.
A few of the “smarter” primary schools (Dame Pearlette Louisy, etc.) have included swimming in the curriculum for the children –and with the understanding that this is a life-saving step for children. Nevertheless, it needs to go beyond this if we are to really safeguard lives. Where are the “brains” in our education system? Come on, people, it is common knowledge that if children are skilled at swimming, lives will be saved!
@James, why can’t we teach swimming and french/spanish are you that short sighted?
Quite agree, swimming is a life skill and should be incorporated along with other life skills within the schools’ curriculum.
I have know a young man who was able to swim yet be drowned after attempting to retrieve a ball in the sea
all the bright people here criticizing the same education system that make them have the skill to type and read the smart sentences dey typing here…my advice is go to the min of education and advocate for swimming to be taught in ALL schools…very bright ideas…
Lacking of physical activity can cause any sportsman tragedy. We cannot place things that’s trivial to parents to do onto others people shoulder. Don’t fork and make kids when you don’t have time to spend behind them…. the solution for life is not in a cereal box… anyone believe god will save you is just a jackass…
Everyone bashing the education system, have y’all looked into the cost of implementing a swimming program at every school? The Aquatic Centre is not state-owned and it’s not free. Are y’all going to sponsor the students? In fact, how many of you have children who know how to swim and not just “doggy paddle”? Start there.
agree Principle, they making kids on an island, water all around but they put their priority to parties, fete, bacchanal, drinking and smoking. Rather to take their very own kids to the beach spend time with them and teach them how to swim. We have a reverse intellectual human capacity that inhabit this island. Hence the full scale lawlessness happening in our society today.
Condoléances dear familles
Prayers and help, with God’s grace and affection of Jesus Christ_
The your only comfort in time of sorrow 💜
Therefore, where is the prudent man ?
Where is the wise man ?
Though can be a professionnel swimmer,yet can be drowned !
Though can a the best sportif athlètes,yet can die !
Job :
One day the angels of the LORD came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan 🐍 also came with them.
The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from ?”
Satan 🐍 answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it”
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you consider my servant Job ?
There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns 😈 evil”.
Then the LORD…
Satan replied, “Have you put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has..
Revelation 12v12..
Understand this :
Therefore, rejoice you heavens,and you who dwell in them !
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil 🐍has gone down to you !
He is full with fury, because he knows that his ⚖️ jugement time is short”…
I was on holiday at Rendevous, at the time of this tragedy and was involved in the search for this young man’s body.
Having read the various comments, above, whilst heartfelt, genuine and understandably frustrated, I believe they miss the l this broader picture.
Before I explain, I think it worth providing a summary.
Once his mother had raised the alarm and help, by way of the lads working at the water sports at Rendevous and another resort in the next bay, he had already been under for more than 90 seconds. From where I was, some 400 meters away, one could see them searching ‘initially ‘, for the first minute or so, in the area where his mother had indicated. Then they shot of down the bay. (It is worth noting that by this time, it was going to be a recovery not a rescue). I am guessing because the wind has blown his ball in that direction. Unfortunately, having previously swam and snorkelled the whole length of the beach,I knew there was little or no current.
I also knew, that due the stirring up of the sand on the bottom, the bottom 2 to 3 feet were difficult to see from the boats, hence my trying to help be swimming with my goggles.
To cut a long story short, after snorkeling toward the boats and discussing with them where he was last seen and the fact that workout a current he will be on thy bottom in the area where last seen. A couple of minutes later his body was found and recovered by the volunteers and taken to his distraught mother, in the beach. It was very sad for all involved.
From the above, I would make the above observations and suggestions.
I WOULD STRESS, I AM NOT POINTING THE FINGER AT ANY OF THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO TRIED TO HELP. Sadly, by the time the first help arrived in scene, the chances of a rescue were already slim.
1. There was a lack of knowledge of the currents and of how a body behaves when drowned and about search patterns and techniques.
2. When the police boat eventually arrived, the officers, by their actions, clearly had not been trained properly on the above.
3. Had the mother and his friends been able to swim, they ‘might’ hand been able to effect a timely rescue.
3. Teaching people to swim is a collective responsibility, parents, the Education system and above all, it needs what is completely lacking which is good leadership
determination and coordination from the islands leaders. It is also important for parents to lead by example and if they cannot swim, to learn to do so, alongside their children.
4. A few simple but effective measures would make a huge difference. a), the island has an excellent resource in the teams that work at the various water sports facilities at the resorts at many of the beaches. The Government could train them beyond life saving, to having a greater knowledge of search and recovery and currents. They are effectively volunteers but the reality is, they are likely to be the first in scene. b). In the time it took his mother to get down the beach far enough to make her screams for help heard, precious time was wasted. The government could place emergency posts at regular intervals along beaches, which, like a fire alarm, would set off a loud siren and bold flashing light, to draw help to where needed more speedily. c) the Police chief needs to step up to the mark and invest in proper training for his officers on search and recovery techniques. d). It is not just about being able to swim. If you spend enough time around water, you will get into difficulty, do training should be given on easy techniques of how to get out of such trouble, (e.g. cramp, swallowing a mouthful of water).
To get the ball rolling, If a few of the resorts would be willing to loan the assistance of their water sports staff and facilities, I would be willing to fly back for a couple of weeks, to work with them, to teach kids and adults to swim and those already can swim, to teach them some life saving skills.