The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK 

TribuneFreeportReporter 

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PATRICK Bevans, the man behind some of Grand Bahama’s most sought-after whelks and curb salads, was found dead Wednesday morning after going missing while fishing in the East End area.

A well-liked figure in his community of Hunters, West Grand Bahama, Bevans, 65, was known for gathering whelks and curbs along the island’s shores, a tradition that made his name synonymous with fresh, local delicacies, according to Pastor Frank Hagan, his brother-in-law. Bevans’ body was reportedly found around 7am along the shore at Gold Rock Creek. A

medical doctor examined him at the scene and pronounced him dead, finding no signs of life.

The news has left his family in shock. Pastor Hagan described Bevans

as an outgoing man who was a familiar face not just in Hunters but across the island.

“He went to do some curbing at the creek and might have fallen,” he

said. “This wasn’t his first time there, but after Hurricane Dorian, the creek in Freetown opened up more. What used to be ankle-deep at low tide is now waist-deep. The tides started changing, and the currents carried him away.”

Earlier police reports indicated that Bevans had gone to Gold Rock Creek with another man. The two separated around 7am, planning to reunite at 9.30am. However, as the tide rose and water conditions worsened, Bevans did not return.

The loss is particularly hard for the family, as they had just buried Bevans’ sister a few weeks ago.

Alice McGregor, a close friend, said Bevans’ passing is a double blow to those who knew him. She last saw him at a friend’s birthday party on August 4.

Bevans had also worked as a taxicab driver for 25 years in Grand Bahama. 

“He will be greatly missed by many people,” Ms McGregor said. “He was always a nice, quiet person.”

Police do not suspect foul play and are awaiting the results of an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.