The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FOR hours on Thursday night, thousands of Bahamians watched in dread as men with shovels and heavy machinery clawed at a mound of rock and dirt, hoping to pull a 51-year-old construction worker out alive.

By sunrise, that hope was gone. Industrial accidents are not unknown on worksites, but few have unfolded with such public suspense and horror.

The overnight rescue attempt at an excavation site off Tonique Williams-Darling Highway turned into a recovery after rescuers located the man’s torso beneath tonnes of boulders and debris. The discovery confirmed what many watching the livestream had begun to conclude— he had not survived the collapse.

“It’s like Kingsley almost sacrificed himself. It could have been seven or eight us underneath there gone,” said Mark Turnquest, a co-worker, at the scene the following morning.

The victim, identified by colleagues only as Kingsley, had been preparing the site alone ahead of other workers arriving to transport fill. He was operating an excavator when part of the hillside gave way, burying both him and the machine.

The accident happened shortly before 3pm, Mr Turnquest said. A trailer later arrived to retrieve the excavator, but when workers went to the area, the machine was nowhere to be seen. A GPS locator showed it was still at the site.

“When they put one and one together,” Mr Turnquest said, workers realised the victim was trapped underneath the rubble.

By Friday, the atmosphere at the site had shifted from frantic urgency to heavy silence. The crowds of volunteers, co-workers, loved ones and bystanders who had stayed through the night were gone. Only a handful of heavy-duty operators remained, assisting with efforts to retrieve the body.

On Thursday night, scores of men relentlessly drove shovels into the earth as truck and tractor operators shifted piles of rock. Many dripped with sweat but refused to stop. Each load of rubble removed brought them closer to the excavator buried beneath the debris.

Among them was 28-year-old Andrew Pinder, a trained first responder who works in heavy equipment and volunteers as a firefighter. He said he had been home watching the live broadcast when he decided to go to the site to help.

He hoped the victim might have survived in an air pocket, something he said has happened in other collapses. But in this case, the weight of the boulders had crushed the cab of the excavator.

Nearby, the victim’s brother stood atop a massive boulder for hours, watching the effort unfold just feet from where his sibling lay buried. Earlier in the night, he had operated a crane in the desperate search, clinging to the same hope shared by those watching online.

Questions have since emerged about the response and the conditions at the site. While police were present, much of the debris removal was carried out by civilians with heavy equipment.

Chief Superintendent Sheria King, press liaison officer, said when officers do not have the necessary tools, police rely on corporate partners to assist. She thanked those partners for helping with the recovery.

Police said they were notified of the incident around 6pm, though workers at the site said the collapse occurred closer to 3pm. CSP King said the timeline is under review. She also said police would be investigating concerns that the property may be involved in a land dispute.

Communications Director in the Office of the Prime Minister Latrae Rahming said several questions remain about the site, industry protocols, coordination and oversight. He said relevant authorities and police would work together to ensure a full investigation.

Environment Minister Zane Lightbourne confirmed that a certificate of environmental clearance had been issued for the site. He said he had not been advised of any land dispute and that his ministry would work with other authorities as investigations continue.

Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy, director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, also said the site had the relevant environmental approvals to operate. However, she noted concerns about not observing workers dressed in safety gear and stressed the importance of a buddy system on worksites in case something goes wrong.

Colleagues described Kingsley as calm, decent and approachable. He was Bahamian, with family from a Family Island.