Families of Rock Gutter seven well supported by community

by Christina Smith

During the holiday season, before the fatal 2015 Rock Gutter tragedy, Georgetown Secondary School student, Simonique Ballantyne took charge in the kitchen, baking up a storm for her family.

Less than a month later, the 15-year-old would die tragically in what is still to date considered one of the worst mass casualty incidents to happen in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

For the families of two of the seven deceased, Simonique Ballantyne age 13, and Chanstacia Stay, age 15, the journey to healing continues to be a challenging one as the bodies of the two teens were never recovered after the bus in which they were passengers crashed into the sea at a cliff at Rock Gutter, located between the communities of Fancy and Owia.

Family members of Ballantyne shared fond memories of the deceased teen, and said over the last 10 years, they have found tremendous support from community members.

“Simonique was a vibrant person, loving, always smiling and helping people. She had a bright future. The last 10 years have been difficult for us, especially for my brother, who has been really troubled by not finding her and not really knowing what happened. All we know is that she is missing and is not coming back.”

Ballantyne described it as a difficult time when the search was eventually called off for the missing children following the January 12, 2015 accident.

Ballantyne said the community has found comfort in each other over the years.

“We have to live with it… we are a praying family so we continue to pray about things and keep each other close. That is really how we got through.

“Everybody … is still in shock about how it happened, but we come together as a community and we just push forward. We just hope and pray that another one don’t occur.”

The family of Stay admitted to SEARCHLIGHT that they were still very much affected by memories of the crash. Despite being too emotional to give an interview, the family, including mother, Nelsa Stay and two children, came out in full force, bearing tee-shirts and photos of Chanstacia for a near two-hour candle light vigil on Saturday, January 11, 2025, from the Fancy playing field to the site of the crash.
Simonique’s father, Hesran Ballantyne told SEARCHLIGHT that the turnout at the vigil, held one day prior to the memorial service, shows there is strength in numbers.

“I am so happy, even though I am sad, for the turnout this evening. It shows that we as a community, we as a people, as a country, there is still so much love among us. I want to thank all those persons who … have contributed one way or another to offer their love their support [to]us, the deceased families.”

He noted that one of the most difficult parts of dealing with the grief of losing his daughter is the fact that the parents are not able to visit the grave site where the other children were laid to rest.

“One of the areas that I see whenever it comes around … like Guy Fox night, or when their birthday comes around, or a special occasion when we know to go somewhere to say we would’ve last taken them to this area.

“That is one of the most difficult times for me, when I realize other parents can still go to the graveside and take a wreath or plant a flower. The most left for us to do is to come to the last place that they would’ve met their demise …”
A Coroner’s Inquest, which was concluded in 2016, resulted in seven counts of manslaughter which had been brought against the bus driver and conductor being dropped.