St Michael community mourns farmer’s death

Residents of Licorish Village, St Michael, are reeling after the death of 42-year-old farmer and mechanic Simon Hippolyte, who was electrocuted on Tuesday night while installing an electric fence to protect his crops.

Relatives and lifelong friends say they are still struggling to process the loss of a man they describe as kind, hard-working and always willing to help.

Hippolyte died while installing an electric fence to protect his crops from monkeys, an activity his family says reflected his love for farming and gardening.

His brother, Ricardo Hippolyte, said Simon was deeply family-oriented and highly motivated.

“He was a good guy… he loved his family, loved his girlfriend, loved his mother, loved his brothers,” he said. “He was a driven person.”

Ricardo explained that farming and gardening were passions Simon took seriously.

“I love gardening, but he loved gardening even more… he loved his plants,” he said. “He tried to prevent the monkeys from mashing up his plants and his vegetables.”

Describing the incident as shocking, he added: “That was one of them freaky things that you can’t explain how it happened… it was just one of those days.”

He noted that Simon had no children but left behind a large, close family.

“Five in all,” he said, adding that Simon also had a deep love for vehicles and anything mechanical.

A long-time friend said Simon was known for his kindness and work ethic.

“He was a very nice person, very kind and diligent. He will help anybody,” he said. “Everything was going all right.”

Another man who said he had been friends with Simon since childhood described their bond as unbreakable.

“Simon was a real good person. He was a brother to me for must be over 20 years,” he said. “We fly kites, do welding together. Ain’t no friend, family.”

Sharon Robinson, who grew up with Simon, said he was the person everyone relied on.

“You can count on Simon for anything,” she said. “If I have any problem with my AC for the car… Simon.”

She added that his dependability extended beyond small favours.

“He does always encourage us… my entire family,” she said. “He’s just the go-to person.”

Still visibly shaken, Robinson described the loss as deeply personal.

“What happened is very unfortunate,” she said. “He was more like a brother to me, because I knew him from when I was a kid.”

She noted that the families are closely connected and plan to gather in the coming days.

“I’m just going to their house soon, the mother’s house soon,” she said. (LE)