Tragic road accidents in Eleuthera

Very sad news that there have been 2 fatalities in traffic accidents during the last week. They were 2 separate incidents – but just a day apart….

The Governors Harbour Fire and Rescue Team were called to  the accidents , one of which happened in Rainbow Bay – this was was at around 6.30 in the evening – so it was dark. The Team used the jaws of life to cut the man out of his car – but he died shortly after from his terrible injuries. What makes the team’s job even harder is when the victims are personally known to them.

Of course we cannot give enough thanks to the men and women on the team who far too regularly have to deal with these awful accidents. Speed is often a factor in these crashes – and in this particular one both drivers were Bahamians. So often we hear of accidents where a tourist is involved – not used to driving on the left or indeed used to state of our roads – but that was not the case here.

Above is the fire truck on a training day exercise

If you are driving here it is important to anticipate oncoming traffic – with headlights often on full beam – or a missing light – it can be so very dangerous and I have to say that we just do not venture far at night – especially on the Queen’s Highway. We will go as far as 1648 at French Leave Resort or Sunset Inn but really no further in the dark. Even in daylight the state of the potholes mean that drivers often swerve to miss them and this can very very risky.

The GHFR is looking into the opportunity for at least bi-annual counseling and debriefing to cope with the undoubted trauma that the team face after these accidents. A lot of men say that they can cope with it all – but there is no amount of talking amongst themselves that will get them through these awful situations. I have personally spoken to some members of the team who openly welcome the idea of these sessions.

So not a very cheerful subject I’m afraid but one that we all need a reminder about.

The Governors Harbour Fire and Rescue Service is currently looking at a registration scheme whereby the GPS co-ordinates of a house can be registered on a program so that in the event of a fire, the house – usually only known by name and the general area – can easily and quickly be located. This would mean that valuable time would be saved in locating the exact position of the house. Such and such a house on Banks Rd is not a viable option if there is a fire or other emergency to be dealt with. There will be a small charge to register the co-ordinates of each home which will go towards the substantial running costs of the Fire and Rescue Service.

I am including a rendering of the new Fire Station that we are hoping to build in Governors Harbour. The land for this has been generously donated and the building will include a hurricane shelter for people of the Governors Harbour settlement. This is a project that will require a lot of fundraising – so be warned !!

On a more cheerful note I was asked to go along to a large rental house – YellowBird in Double Bay – to give a short motivational talk to the staff of the house. The lovely owner – Annie Bakhaus – gives her staff some training and motivation as well as a great lunch and other treats once a year . They were a really great bunch and clearly appreciated their jobs and the owner, Annie, as well. They were all happy and positive – they all introduced themselves to me one by one and I asked them what was their favorite part of the job and also their least favorite. They all talked about how much they enjoyed meeting the guests and really couldn’t come up with their least favorite part ! It was a delight for me to be with them and give them full recognition for what a good job they are doing…….

That’s all for this week – the weather is picking up, we have had some really warm sunny days and the beach has been beautiful. Note to self – take my phone to the beach so I can post some good pictures ….. Take care of yourselves and do always drive carefully.

And a close up …..