The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

INVESTIGATORS have travelled to the United States to interview victims of the June Four C's boat explosion in Exuma that left a woman dead and two others with amputated limbs, according to press secretary Anthony Newbold.

He could not give more details about the status of the investigation.

Four C's was involved in the incident in Barraterre on June 30 in which an American woman, Maleka Jackson, died. Her husband Tiran Jackson lost one of his legs while another woman, Sefanie Schaffer, lost two limbs. The tour company has since been ordered to cease operations until the investigation has been completed. Schaffer's family has since raised $167,415 to cover her medical expenses through GoFundMe. The family of Mr Jackson has raised $149,180 on that platform to cover his expenses.

Mr Newbold was unable to say yesterday if any of the victims have initiated legal action against the government or Four C's.

"The last thing we are aware of, (investigators) travelled to Georgia where the victims of the accident live," he said. "They've gone there to interview them but that is the last thing we know about where that is."

During yesterday's press conference Mr Newbold separately noted that renovations have not yet started on the new post office building on Gladstone Road.

"The minister of works who has carriage of this, they're presently preparing construction drawings for the building," he said, referring to the Phil's Food Services building. "They're also awaiting the structural engineers report on that building and once that's done the quantity surveyors will have a look at it. At that point you talk about actual numbers and the process as it is now could run into November before you actually see anything physically happening with that building."

At its current location, the General Post Office has been plagued with issues for years, suffering from mould and a broken air-conditioning system. For many months postal workers have worked shortened shifts at their East Hill Street location because of the "hazardous" conditions.

Last year, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce CEO Edison Sumner said the shortened work hours were a "pretty vexing issue" for a number of businesses.