Debate now swirls over long-time beach feature, amid calls to bar access

The Barbados Government has stepped in to address cries from some sections of the public to close access to that area of Brighton Beach, off Spring Garden, St Michael popularly known as The Hot Pot.

The state’s intervention followed pleas from several Barbadians including the father of the latest person to die from drowning while bathing in the vicinity of the popular bathing spot. A “danger” sign has existed for sometime now, warning members of the public “Do not swim here – strong current.”

The body of 21-year-old Jovonni Moise of Dash Valley, St George washed ashore on Monday after he disappeared while bathing there with friends the day before.

While expressing condolences to the young man’s family, Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey said today Government will thoroughly investigate the situation at the Hot Pot and will be guided by the science in whatever decision is taken regarding the future of that portion of the beach.

“I have heard the cries of the father for something to be done at the Hot Pot and I felt those cries in my soul as a parent would. I have already spoken to my senior officers in the ministry about the situation there to get a better understanding,” Minister Humphrey told Barbados TODAY.

He added: “I would want the family and all Barbadians to know that we will look at the full situation there, but I also hope they understand that we cannot make a decision about the “Hot Pot” without studying the necessary data and scientific information.”

Humphrey also acknowledged that the “Pot” holds significant cultural meaning and societal value to Barbadians of all generations for as long as he could remember.

“I have reached out to St. Clair King [the victim’s father] and I hope to speak to the wider family of Javonne to offer my condolences. This must be unbelievably hard for them,” he noted.

“When the time is right and when the family feels ready, I would be available to discuss with them, anything related to this unfortunate situation. For now I’d just rather give the family time to grieve,” Minister Humphrey concluded.

When Barbados TODAY reached out to Hazel Oxenford, Professor of Marine Ecology and Fisheries at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), her solution to the current issues surrounding the Hot Pot is to bar access.

“It carries a very large volume of hot water effluent after it is used for cooling generating equipment at [Barbados] Light and Power. Anytime such a large volume of water is released, it is bound to create eddies and offshore flow at its release point (much like any river would do). There is nothing else odd about this stretch of coastline that would cause such effects in the absence of these strongly flowing effluent pipes,” the marine expert stated.

“One of the problems I guess is that people who are not necessarily swimmers or who might be very weak swimmers are attracted to the site to ‘bathe’ in the warm waters and simply get washed off their feet and out of their depth by the strong water flow. There is no mystery behind it,” she said.

But regular users of the popular spot all disagree that the area is unsafe and should be closed off.

“Batman” as he preferred to be called said today he had been going to the Pot consistently for the past 15 years.

He told Barbados TODAY the danger is not with the portion closest to the pipes from where the warm water flows but just beyond the mouth of the channel where the water from the pot “meets” the ocean.

“I don’t see a problem with in here,” he said while pointing to the section of the water in which he waded close to the outflow pipes.

“But beyond this, it isn’t recommended to go out there. But we got some old folks that like to go out there. If the young ones come and don’t know it, sometimes you get distracted and don’t have an idea of where you are and where your footing is. But in general I don’t think it is that threatening at this time,” the long-time bather stated, adding that there is also a sudden drop outside the Hot Pot channel.

His sentiments were echoed by a 37-year-old man, who had been bathing there from age 14.

“Anytime anybody say somebody drown down here, them did out there [pointing to where the two currents meet and where there is a drop]. Them went out there in that rough spot. So they can’t blame Hot Pot. They were in the general area of Hot Pot, but they were not in the Hot Pot,” he stated.

Other sea bathers refuted the claims that the area is dangerous and should be permanently closed. Instead, they said it was extremely therapeutic for their ailments and that it should be left alone.

While expressing their condolences to the family for their loss, many of the sea goers were against any form of barricades.

Wayne Gittens has been going to the beach for over 20 years, he said: “Clearly those people don’t know anything about the ‘Pot’. The drowning doesn’t happen inside the Pot they happen outside. The water sometimes almost just goes to your knee or waist so inside here [hot pot] is not really dangerous but because of the outflow you would get the different currents.”

Gittens said the Hot Pot was getting a bad name for no reason and argued that at all of the popular beaches in Barbados like Browne’s beach, Brandons and Accra there were drownings.

He questioned, “So you will close all of the beaches? I don’t see the sense of calling for the Hot Pot to be closed.”

Heather Coward-Downes reasoned that drowning should not be the reason to close off the area.

“If you close Hot Pot are you going to close Bathsheba where [Amalee Holder] drowned and Accra and all of those other places… It is stupidness that people are calling for the Hot Pot to close,” she said.

The mature woman explained the beach area is therapeutic, “I would be sorry to know if they decide to close it because it really helps a lot of people,” she said.

“Last year May, I could not walk, my husband and my son used to bring me here and drop me off with a life jacket on so that I could float and three weeks after I was able to walk.”

Coward-Downes explained, “I used to go to therapy but the money, she [the doctor] even reduced the money but it was still too much and my son tell me he going carry me to the Hot Pot.”

Another seabather, Carmel echoed the sentiments of Coward-Downes saying that the Hot Pot is very important to their bodies.

“Many times I come down here and I see guys holding people and bringing into the Hot Pot and to be honest when you hear shout nobody don’t have to bring them in they walk in, it done a great for a lot people and it’s been doing so for a long time,” she said.

Describing it as ‘nonsense’ Carmel simply said, “The Hot Pot is just here for we to enjoy. We don’t go into the ocean, the ocean does carry yuh way.”

Friends Heather Hunte and Roanna Sanders better known as Joan also sang the praises of Hot Pot.

Hunte said, “I retired in 2010 and I had arthritis and you know what the doctor tell me? Girl why don’t you go to the Hot Pot? I was coming here from 2010 until now…The sea is for people that can swim. The Hot Pot is for people trying to get rid of arthritis.”

Sanders said she lives between Barbados and the United States of America and every chance she gets she visits the beach.

“I’m praying and wish that you guys don’t close it down because it is therapeutic for us who have little ailments,” she said.

Meanwhile Retired dentist, Gertrude Sieben suggested that instead of closing off the area, efforts should be made to teach Barbadians how to swim.

“I’ve been in Barbados for over 40 years and the Hot Pot has always been here I don’t think you should close it off rather try to get the kids to be able to swim and tell them in the schools they need to be careful because they are dangerous spots not only here but on the East Coast.”

With regards to the death of Moise on Sunday, police reported that sometimes around 4:15 pm a group of five young men went to the beach. Two of them were swimming when one got into difficulties and went underwater. His friend tried to assist but was unsuccessful.  He disappeared and never resurfaced until his body washed ashore some 50 meters from where he went missing at sea.

This latest death rekindles memories of July 21 1997, when the hot pot went cold.

A strong undercurrent swept away the Cumberbatch brothers, Kevin 10 and Kenny, 11, and caused the lives of four other people who went in to save them.

(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb, kobiebroomes@barbadostoday.bb)