Bahamas: 6-year-old boy dies after swing set collapse at Freeport School

Bahamas: In a tragic incident, a 6-year old boy died at his school in Freeport, Grand Bahama when the swing set collapsed. The child has been identified as Vernal “Zion” Williams. The accident took place Monday morning while the child was at the Caring Hands Academy playground, where he had been a student for 6 months.

His mother, Cardia Williams, said that she went to the school at 11 am in the morning to drop off her son’s lunch when she learned about the incident. When they found Zion, he was injured and unresponsive after the swing set collapsed on him. They rushed him to the Rand Memorial hospital, but unfortunately the medical team were unable to save him.

Williams said that was broken not only by the accident but also by the delay in emergency response. She said the ambulance at that time was stationed in Eight Mile Rock which forced staff to take her son to the hospital in a private car. The deceased’s mother believed that the trained doctors could have helped her son survive if they arrived earlier.

“We’re supposed to be the second city, and we couldn’t get an ambulance out there. Something ain’t right about that. Especially with a situation like that, first responders may have known how to better handle him,” noted Williams.

The grieving mother also said that the swing set may not have been properly inspected or secured. She said that with proper safety measures in place at the school, this accident may have been avoided. Zion’s twin brother and the rest of the family are having a hard time coping with the sudden loss.

Government response and healthcare concerns 

The Ministry of Education has confirmed that a preliminary investigation into the case has been launched. The country’s acting Prime Minister and Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin also said that they will be going over the details very carefully to determine the circumstances that led to this tragic incident.

This issue has also brought to light long-term issues related to ambulance deficits in The Bahamas. It was reported earlier this year that in New Providence, only 3 ambulances were operating on the road with reports of delays up to 45 minutes.

By June the number had gone down to only two which were still functioning. Moreover, a woman in Long Island had to be taken to an air ambulance on the back of a flat bed truck due to lack of medical units in June.

Emergency workers have reported that they are using vehicles with poor conditions which raises questions about the government’s emergency preparedness. Zion’s death has now sparked a renewed call for quick action which also includes better public safety at schools and improvement of the island’s emergency response.