It was a most distressing experience to listen to the father of our latest downing victim, plead for “something to be done” about the popular Hot Pot near Brighton, St Michael.
The death of 21-yer-old Jovonni Andre Jalani Moise, of Dash Valley, St George on Mother’s Day, made the tragic occurrence even more traumatic for his mother and entire household. It cast a pall on celebrations across the island as the population began its slow emergence from the COVID-19 induced lockdowns and restrictions.
In a comment to the media, Javonne’s stepfather St Clair King begged: “That beach can’t be safe. Too many people have lost their lives there. I know the Prime Minister cares about the citizens, so she has to step in and do something.”
King went as far as to call for the area to be barricaded from swimmers for their own safety.
The Hot Pot has become a magnate for young and old. Not only is it situated on one of the most beautiful beaches off outer Bridgetown, but it also has the added attraction of warm waters discharged from the Barbados Light & Power (BL&P) generating plant.
The thermal discharge from the power facility, some argue, provides a form of therapeutic relief for those who bathe in the pool-like enclave that has been created.
Without proof, some have thrown up their own theories of why so many people continue to lose their lives at this spot. Some suggest the high number of deaths relates to the probability factor, given the large number of persons who choose the Hot Pot as their favoured place for beach going.
Some have offered their own conspiracy theories about the BL&P’s cooling systems’ outfall. That this was creating some kind of dangerous current, in the otherwise calm waters, that sucks in its victims.
What is certain is the need for proper research on why so many people have lost their lives by drowning in a location that is supposed to be a calm, safe place, even for those who venture no further than their feet will allow them to stand on the sea floor.
We agree with the grieving father; “Something has to be done”.
Having suffered through two years of conspiracies that 5G was the cause of the coronavirus, it may well be in the interest of BL&P to provide a detailed account of the generation plant’s impact on the immediate coastal area.
We understand that opening up the doors to information on the thermal outfall may expose the pandora’s box on why one of the country’s largest power generation facilities is located literally on the beach where it is exposed to substantial damage in the event of a weather or tidal event.
But whether to exonerate the electricity provider or simply to make for a more informed public opinion about these important matters, the company ought to speak to the issue. Is there any additional danger created by the outfall’s presence?
One cannot forget the summer of 1997 when Barbados recorded its worst drowning tragedy at the same location. A total of five people, mostly preteens and adolescents were taken from their families in a horrific ordeal.
The Cumberbatch brothers, 10-year-old Kevin and his older sibling 11-year-old sibling Kenny got into difficulty. Eager members of the St Leonard’s Boys’ School football team who were also at the beach that attempted to rescue them. Two footballers died in the attempt, while a man in his 40s who jumped into the waters to help also lost his life.
Responding to the 1997 tragedy and calls for an investigation into the role of the outfall in the deaths, then director of engineering at BL&P, Mr Andrew Gittens said a 1994 study undertaken showed the eight feet wide and three feet high outfall, had no impact on the environment.
The senior power plant official admitted, however, that the study did not address human safety issues because such matters were not considered “a problem”.
“We were shocked and saddened by the tragedy, and our deepest sympathy goes out to the families of those who lost their lives. The company is also very surprised about the recent concerns raised about the outfall, but we would be pleased to work with the relevant authorities to ensure there are no problems,” he told the local media then.
On the latest death, there is another promise to “look into” what can be done to protect against further loss of life. This time, the undertaking is from Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Mr Kirk Humphrey.
We do not doubt the Member of Parliament’s sincerity. But the frequency of drownings and near-death occurrences beg for a substantial and wide-ranging investigation into all the factors that may be influencing the recurring tragedies at this popular site for unsuspecting beach goers.
Jovonni Andre Jalani Moise, it would appear, was a young man with so much promise that will never be fulfilled. His parents and loved ones certainly deserve to have answers, while the rest of the population needs to have closure on what has turned the Hot Pot into such a watery death trap.
