Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Park Hill graves swept away by the river; villager fears more will be taken
Front Page
November 15, 2016

Park Hill graves swept away by the river; villager fears more will be taken

Years ago, when persons buried their family members in the Park Hill cemetery, they may have thought that a plot on the bank of the Colonarie River was the ideal final resting place for their relatives.

After all, it overlooked the biggest river in the country.

But that changed last Wednesday, November 9 as the Colonarie River which runs through South Rivers and Park Hill eroded a section of the river bank directly below the Park Hill cemetery, causing the bank to collapse, taking with it a number of the graves.{{more}}

In an interview last Sunday, grave digger Basil Chewitt of South Rivers told SEARCHLIGHT that when the raging river waters eroded the river bank, about ten graves were swept away.

Chewitt, whosays he has been a gravedigger since he was 12, said that use of the cemetery for new burials was discontinued since 2002 but some persons would usually visit the cemetery to tend to their relatives’ burial sites.

Now in his 40s, Chewitt said that he is sad to see the graves swept away by the river and he fears that more will be taken away if some sort of wall or strengthening of the river bank is not done.

“I feel bad about it. Coffins and bones get wash away,” said the gravedigger who revealed that in the past, while digging graves he dug up bones, but this is different as those bones he found were placed back in the ground, but the ones that have been swept out to sea have been lost forever.

“I think we have to put back a wall and bury over the ones we can find,” said Chewitt who added that while he is not superstitious, he thinks that reburial is the right thing to do.

But while the gravedigger is upset about the graves being washed away, a number of villagers are upset about something else, the altering of a number of tributaries that make up the huge body of water.

One villager who refused to give his name, told SEARCHLIGHT that he is of the opinion that work done on the river a few weeks ago caused the river to hit harder into the bank below the cemetery causing mass erosion and the subsequent collapse to the huge wall of soil.

According to the resident, about one month ago, residents saw a tractor in the river moving boulders from one area to another. He said that these boulders were used to converge two tributaries into one and that changed the course and strength of a section of the river below the cemetery.

“For years no water was not hitting the bank so strong, so common sense would tell you that is what caused the erosion.

A number of other graves are in threat of being washed away, among them, these ones, three of which belong to Eugenie Glasgow, who was born in 1935 and died on June 15, 2002, Ira Banes and Jerom Glasgow (born 1975).

When you interrupt nature, you have problems. You don’t disturb the natural flow of the system,” said the irate man who admitted that he was not an engineer, but strongly believes in his theory about why the graves were washed away.

He is also of the view that the new cemetery is also in danger of being flooded because the natural course of the river was changed.

The river became swollen and began raging last week after an overnight surface trough system dumped seven inches of rain on the island.

Yesterday, Minister of Transport and Works Julian Francis said that while he is not laying the blame on the closing of the tributary, the matter will be investigated.

He said that persons are entertaining the idea that the work done on the river caused the erosion of the cemetery bank, but that may not be the case as over the past few days, we have had a large quantity of rain that may possibly be the most this country has ever seen.

“We intend to follow up the theory and if it is correct and we will change the flow but we not just going act like that,” Francis said.

He said that the work was done on that river and a number of other rivers as part of the National Disaster Management Project which was implemented after the 2013 floods that caused widespread damage island wide.

Francis said that the cleaning and clearing of a number of rivers throughout the country has helped to mitigate against flood damage. He said that a lot of clearing was done in places like Buccament and Vermont and that has helped to prevent severe flooding in these areas.

Francis noted that in 2013, the rains came over a short period of time, but now in 2016, rain is falling heavy and in longer periods so that is causing problems.

After the graves were washed away and water could be seen oozing from a number of other graves, a public service announcement was broadcast, asking persons to desist from using the river.

But on Sunday, it was business as usual at the Colonaire River as persons washed and fished freely in the waters below the cemetery.(LC)

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Pharmacist in Calder shooting granted $30,000 bail
    Front Page
    Pharmacist in Calder shooting granted $30,000 bail
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    A Pharmacist, charged with attempted murder, has been granted bail in the sum of $30,000. Esworth Lewis, who is alleged to have shot a man about his b...
    Bigger things in store  for former SVG Consul General to Toronto – PM
    Front Page
    Bigger things in store for former SVG Consul General to Toronto – PM
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    A higher posting will be offered to former SVG Consul General to Toronto, Fitz Huggins, who recently demitted office. Huggins concluded his ambassador...
    Venezuelans  remain resillent, determined  despite massive sanctions by US
    Front Page
    Venezuelans remain resillent, determined despite massive sanctions by US
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    Over $20 billion in Venezuelan assets abroad remain frozen, while the country has suffered a 99% loss of foreign income since February, 2014. But desp...
    PM not ready to ‘ring the bell’ at ULP Layou rally
    Front Page
    PM not ready to ‘ring the bell’ at ULP Layou rally
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    While many may have felt the date for the general elections in St. Vincent and the Grenadines would have been announced at the Unity Labour Party’s ‘W...
    Schools get in on World Food Day celebrations
    Front Page
    Schools get in on World Food Day celebrations
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    World Food Day, celebrated annually across the globe on October, 16, to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agric...
    Mitres makes history as inaugural Semi-Pro Netball Champions
    Sports
    Mitres makes history as inaugural Semi-Pro Netball Champions
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    Mitres Netball Team wrote their name into local netball history, when they captured the inaugural Semi-Professional Netball League title on Wednesday ...
    News
    More than 1000 families have received appliances says PM
    News
    More than 1000 families have received appliances says PM
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    The government’s allocation of $1.5 million in the 2025 budget to provide essential household appliances, including refrigerators, stoves, and washing...
    Urban transformation to follow Kingstown Port opening
    News
    Urban transformation to follow Kingstown Port opening
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    Minister with responsibility for urban development, airports and seaports, Senator Bernarva Browne, is looking forwards to the start of much bigger th...
    New York Times claims cocaine washed up in Grenadines
    News
    New York Times claims cocaine washed up in Grenadines
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    On October 14, 2025, The New York Times, in an article headlined “Drug Smugglers Change Supply Routes to Evade U.S. Warships”, showed a photograph of ...
    This election is a galaxy of stars, says Gonsalves
    News
    This election is a galaxy of stars, says Gonsalves
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    The upcoming general elections in St Vincent and the Grenadines will be about the ability of the political candidates to shine. That is the conclusion...
    Vote without fear – Senator John
    News
    Vote without fear – Senator John
    Webmaster 
    October 17, 2025
    Electors waiting to vote in the next general elections are being asked to do so without fear as the ballot is secret and no one can know who you voted...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok