Barrouallie couple afraid to return home after boulder smashes bedroom

A Barrouallie couple have decided to relocate from the home they shared for five decades after a boulder smashed into the house, causing significant damage to the structure.

Osborne and Debra Frederick

Osborne and Debra Frederick, residents of Glebe Hill say they grateful that their lives were spared as the incident occurred just 15 minutes after they left to attend a family member’s funeral.

The couple said they have no plans as to where they will reside as a result of this incident. Though it was only one bedroom that has been affected, the couple said that they are being advised by residents to relocate immediately, as there are still several boulders that remain above their home that pose a threat to their safety.

On July 13 while the couple was at Debra’s brother’s funeral, they were informed that a boulder had smashed into a bedroom of their three bedroom house.

In that bedroom, was a television, a bed and a dressing cupboard.

“I just go to the funeral, just viewed my brother. I shed some tears and then after that, sit down to catch myself, and all I can get is bad news,” Debra recounted.

She said that a neighbor had told her that a stone rolled down and “mashed up” the house, and that she must return home quickly.

“I felt like I didn’t have any life. I felt so weak. I didn’t even self know how to respond, more than I went to my husband and my brother and just started to cry,” Debra told SEARCHLIGHT in an interview, hours after the incident occurred. The couple said that they never expected that a situation would occur, or at least to this extent.

However, Debra said that when Hurricane Beryl was approaching St Vincent, her sister warned her to evacuate the house, as she was fearful of the rocks that were located above Debra’s home.

“But I told her God is good, nothing go happen” she said, while noting that stones did not fall on the house during the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

Debra and Osborne thanked God that no one was home when the boulder fell into their house, as it could have cost them their life.

“Thank God we weren’t there at the time because if we were there getting ready for the funeral it probably could’ve been worse,” Debra told SEARCHLIGHT.

Osborne said that this incident affects the family as repairing the house will take a lot of materials and money.

“Because of the weight of the stone, it might affect the other interior…and probably…the outside of the wall because of the heaviness of the stone, the weight, and when that move you will see more damage,” he added.

“I thank the Almighty God that we leave home already. Trust me, we’ll need help. We’ll need something…like a compressor to break out that, before we start to do work because you can’t do nothing until that is completely out,” Osborne continued.