Bodies of two students killed in Barbados return to SVG

by Alex Downes

THE BODIES OF two of the Vincentian girls killed in last week’s car crash at Graeme Hall, Christ Church, Barbados should be back in their homeland Friday.

On Thursday morning, the bodies of both 17-year-old Danee Horne and 19-year-old Aziza Dennie were taken to the shallow draught at the Barbados Port by Keith Jones Funeral Home. They subsequently left on the Melinda II intra-island vessel around 4 p.m.

But with the costs behind the preparations and shipping of their bodies expected to reach approximately $5,000 to $6,000 respectively, one of the businesses involved in getting them back to St Vincent is lending its assistance to help the families with the cost.

Mark Hassell, director for local shipping agency Eric Hassell & Son, agent for the vessel said the company decided to waiver the $800 fee per body following the MIDWEEK NATION’s story on the costs involved.

“After reading about the estimate of the cost to prepare and transport the bodies back to their families in St Vincent in the MIDWEEK NATION yesterday and realising they were going to be shipped by ferry, as good corporate citizens… the only thing to do as agents of the ferry vessel in question was to waive all fees related to transportation and costs,” Hassell said during a phone interview.

The shipping agency executive had been in contact with the funeral home which handled the bodies in Barbados to complete the arrangement.

The body of the other Vincentian victim, Carianne Padmore, 18 is to be flown out of Barbados on Monday on a chartered flight of the Vincentian Airlines, Mustique Airways.

The Vincentian teenagers tragically lost their life on Sunday, January 29 after the car they were travelling in was involved in a collision with a taxi on the Graeme Hall section of the ABC Highway.

All three had just completed their internship at the Crane Resort and had just left a staff party at Sugar Ultra Lounge, St Lawrence Gap where they had been celebrating the end of their programme in Barbados.

Also injured in the incident were fellow Vincentian interns Darren Daniel, 18 and Kemelius Boyea, 21 who required treatment at the Queen’s Elizabeth Hospital for their injuries. Barbadian Andre Gittens, 23, the driver of the vehicle also died in that accident.

News of the long awaited return home of the bodies came as welcome news for the family of Aziza Dennie.

Her little sister Azinza Browne-Dennie said she was happy and explained the family was thankful for the support they received during the tough time.

“I feel good to know my sister is finally coming home so we can prepare for the funeral. Our mother is managing as best she can,” Browne Dennie said from St Vincent.

“She left Barbados since last Friday but she is staying in town and has not come home as yet. We want to thank everyone involved for their support and encouragement in this tough time,” she added.

alexdownes@nationnews.com