bahamas

US Coast Guard is still searching for a 20-year man, who reportedly jumped overboard a cruise ship on Thursday, 57 miles from Inagua, Bahamas.

The 20-year-old was with family aboard the 18-story Royal Caribbean’s Liberty cruise when he jumped the ship, shortly after 4 a.m. turning passengers’ vacation into a nightmare.

“It was insane,” said passenger Bryan Sims. “It was just surreal.”

The man who remains unidentified, reportedly got into an argument with his father over being intoxicated and in what appeared to be an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment decision, he jumped into the ocean after yelling, “I’ll fix this right now,” as his father and brother looked on helplessly.

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” Sims told The Post. ” It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”

“He was pretty drunk.

“As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us.

“His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.”

“He jumped out the window in front of us all.”

It caused panic aboard the ship and the crew joined US Coast Guard in searching for the man.

“There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately,” another passenger,  Deborah Morrison, told The Post.

“His family was horrified, just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

The man has not yet been found but the Coast Guard said it will continue its search and rescue operation between Inagua and Cuba.

As of Friday afternoon, a GoFundMe for FNM Deputy Chair and Former Parliamentarian Don Saunders has already raised nearly $18,000 from some 90 donors, three days after it was launched.

Reverend Fr. Keith Cartwright launched a GoFundMe to help the family’s mounting bills in the wake of his unexpected death in an apparent botched robbery.

Elaine Cravatt who donated $100 said, “If I can help somebody as I travel along, my living shall not be in vain. May Don’s soul rest in peace.”

The GoFundMe has a goal of $314,000—to help with his uninsured mortgage for his home, his daughter’s university tuition, and his son’s high school fees. Saunder’s wife, Tiffany is also battling sickle cell.

“My son’s entire life was one of national service. From a young age, he was actively involved in church life and community development. He entered into national frontline politics to make a difference in the lives of people from all backgrounds. He served unselfishly, often times at great personal and familial sacrifice,” said Father Cartwright, who adopted Saunders from a boy and assisted him with schooling.

“My brothers and sisters we seek your kind assistance in these challenging times. Your contributions, no matter how small, will indeed go a long way in alleviating the financial burden on my son’s family who is already grappling with the loss of their beloved husband and father.”

Saunders was killed last week Wednesday when he visited a club in the Gambier area of New Providence and gunmen attempted to rob patrons, police say. A gunman confronted Saunders who then brushed the gun from his face. He was shot in the neck region and subsequently died on the scene.

Dazelle Munroe whose father was also murdered, said she too feels the pain of Saunders’ family. She donated $100.

“My father was also murdered when I was 11 years old leaving my mother to take care of five girls by herself. I am saddened to see another family have to deal with this situation. I’ve seen and met Don Don (Saunders’ son) at St. John’s as my son goes there and will be cheering from the sideline for his continued success.

Police said earlier in the week that they have three suspects in custody.

At the time of his unfortunate death, Saunders served as the deputy chairman of the Free National Movement. He was a former member of Parliament for the Tall Pines constituency, and served as deputy speaker of the House of Assembly.

The tragic killing of FNM Deputy Chair Don Saunders on Wednesday night sent shockwaves through the legal and political arena in the country, seen as an unprecedented killing in the crime fight.

He was 49.

Here’s what we know about Don Saunders

• As a twin, he was born on the 12th February, 1975 in Nassau to Mispah and Donald G. Saunders and is the foster child of Archdeacon Keith Cartwright. Cartwright read Saunders’ last rites before his body was taken away in the hearse.
• He served in various capacities in the Free National Movement Party (FNM) beginning in 2002  as Council Member, National Deputy Secretary and Executive Member.
• He became an MP in 2017 and served as deputy speaker in the House of Assembly until 2021.
• Don was head boy at L. N. Coakley Secondary School in Exuma in 1992. His earlier education was at St. Francis and Joseph Primary School.
• He studied History at the College of The Bahamas; he studied Sociology and Political Science at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree. He soon completed studies at the University of Leeds, leading to the award of a Bachelors of Law Degree (LL.B.); and completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Law and the Bar Vocational Course at the University of Northumbria, UK.
• He was called to the Bar of England and Wales and the Bahamas Bar in 2001.
• He served as Chairman of the Bahamas Bar Association’s Public Relations & Legal Aid Committee from 2002 to 2003.
• He completed his pupilage at Higgs and Johnson; he was engaged as an Associate at Halsbury Chambers (2003-2008) and subsequently at Graham Thompson (2008-2012).
• In late 2012, Don became a founding partner at Essex Law Chambers and served as the Property Manager of City West Property Management and Documents Express (Court Process Service and Messenger Services).
• He served as a Director and Legal Adviser of the Bahamas Humane Society (2009-2012) and was appointed to the Board of the Bridge Authority (2011-2012).
• Don was married to Tiffany Saunders and has two children.

The horrific murder of Don Saunders, a former parliamentarian and deputy speaker in the House of Assembly on Wednesday night, sent shock waves through the Bahamas and provoked condolences and reflections about his life in the political arena.

His party leader Michael Pintard was one of the first politicians to alert the public of the homicide that occurred in Gambier, the western area of New Providence.

“It is with a heavy heart that I report the shocking murder of our colleague and friend, FNM Deputy Chair Don Saunders. We are still gathering all of the facts as we come to grips with this tragedy,” he said in a social media post when the incident occurred after 9 pm in the quaint community. Pintard with other FNM colleagues then gathered on the murder scene and watched as Saunders’ body was carried away in a hearse. “We trust that the system is going to work,” he told reporters.

Former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, who appointed Saunders as a candidate for the Tall Pine’s constituency in the 2017 general election, before he won the seat in 2021, also expressed sadness about his untimely death in a social media post. “As the Member of Parliament for the Killarney Constituency (of which Gambier is a part), it is with profound sadness and shock that I have learned of the tragic murder of our esteemed colleague Mr Donald Saunders…Let us honor the memory of our fallen comrade by coming together in solidarity and supporting those affected by this senseless act of violence,” he said.

On the scene, he told reporters that the area was outfitted with cameras to assist the police in finding the suspects responsible for Saunders’ death.

Prime Minister Philip Davis, a friend of Saunders’ family, added that he too was “deeply saddened by the tragic reports that Don Saunders, Former Member of Parliament and Deputy Chairman of the FNM has been killed.”

FNM’s Party Chairman Duane Sands simply said, “May God wrap you in his loving arms. Rest in Peace Don.”

In an official statement,  Sands later paid tribute to Saunders’ commitment and hard work. “He loved our country. He loved the FNM and the principles for which we stand.”

Sands continued, “His efforts for party and country were self-sacrificing. He was a committed son, husband and father. I benefitted from his counsel politically and professionally. I treasured his friendship. Don was a true FNM warrior–committed to the cause. He was an instrumental part of our chairman’s core. He will be sorely missed.”

Adrian White, MP for St Anne’s constituency reflected on Saunders’ life as a student of law. “Don Saunders was my FNM brother. We had been in England sitting the Bar Vocation Course at the same time and each of us completed our pupilage at Higgs & Johnson. Tonight’s news is so disturbing, it’s not worth believing. My thoughts and prayers are for his family…Justice will be served.”

Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin chimed in, offering condolences to Saunders’ family, “particularly his wife, a member of the Ministry of Education team, his children and his entire circle of love.”

Arinthia Komolafe, a former leader of the third-party Democratic National Alliance expressed sympathy in a Facebook post.

FNM Senator Maxine Seymour called him an “older brother” since they originated from Exuma and were involved in politics together.

“Tragically, his journey was cut short, leaving a profound void in our lives and community.”

Former Parliamentarian Donald Saunders was shot and killed on Wednesday night in what appears to be a botched robbery in Gambier.

What happened?

Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said Saunders, Deputy Chairman of the Free National Movement was one of six patrons sitting outside of a community bar after 9 pm, when two gunmen demanded cash.

The patrons fled and the gunmen fired their weapons.

The other five patrons soon realized Saunders was not with them. They then returned to the scene and found him lying face down outside of the establishment, with a gunshot wound to the back. When police officers arrived on the scene, he had already succumbed.

The big picture

The year began with worrying crime trends, spilling over from 2023, spurring loud calls from the Opposition and citizens alike for the government to amend laws in hopes of curtailing the surging homicide rate and implementing stringent measures against criminals.

The RBPF has maintained that most murders in the country are gang retaliation and some people’s unwillingness to resolve conflicts. But Saunder’s murder, the 35^th for the year, is a rare occurrence since politicians in the Bahamas are not often victims of homicides.

His killing rocked the country as the government and the RBPF continue to grapple with this crime wave and ways to prevent further mayhem by gun violence.

Thirty-five murders from January to March is a startling figure since it is only the first quarter of the year and could spell a troubling pattern for the remainder of 2024.

Though homicides are mostly concentrated in New Providence, Gambier lies farther west of the capital, is a rather quiet community, and is sparsely populated.

Saunders, a lawyer,  won the Tall Pines seat in the 2017 general election, becoming a Member of Parliament until 2021 in the Hubert Minnis administration. He then served as the deputy speaker of the House of Assembly during his party’s period in office.

He was also a counsel in the ongoing Adrian Gibson fraud and bribery trial.

What FNM Party Leader Michael Pintard is saying

Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard with other party members arrived on the scene in shock, looking on as Saunders’ body was placed in the hearse. He said, “We are trusting that the system is going to work and appealing to Bahamians, everyone who can contribute to bringing justice for him and literally the hundreds of Bahamians who have lost their lives, whose matters have not yet been resolved.”

Nearly six weeks after resigning from Mt Tabor Church as senior pastor, Pastor Rickeno Moncur and his new congregation unveiled the name of their new church on Sunday in the ballroom of Bahamar, Revolution Church.

With standing room only, hundreds of worshippers crammed the ballroom for the church’s unveiling, with famed American worship leader Benita Washington leading the praise and worship segment.

Former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis accompanied by his wife, was spotted in the crowd.

https://fb.watch/qDrTgusyHa/

“We are here tonight to witness the birthing of a revolution of love, designed for one purpose, to give life and life abundantly,” Moncur told an exuberant crowd. “This is not just any kind of a revolution, this is a love revolution based on John 3:16: For God so love people, he gave his only begotten Son.”

Forty-year-old Moncur established Revolution Church after serving many years in ministry. He transitioned to pastoral ship at a young age, leading a small but vibrant congregation of young people at Word of Life Kingdom Church, before dissolving it to become the lead pastor at Mt Tabor.

On Sunday, he emphasized that the mandate of Revolution Church is different and people-centered.

“Jesus is saying you can’t take ministry to another dimension and do things the same way.

“Next levels attract new devils but also require different and unique strategies.

“I have been revolutionized. Church is all about God but God is all about his people. For God so love people, he gave his only begotten Son.”

The apostolic preacher has been holding church at Superplex Fusion after he left Mt Tabor unexpectedly, announcing by a video that “challenges surround[ed] my presence” at the influential church and later acknowledging he was “hurting for one year.”

“I had to preach through it,” he told the congregation of his plight one Sunday morning in its 8 am service. “I had to minister through it. I had to serve through it. And some of you didn’t even know about it because I did not make it the priority.”

Details of the challenges he encountered while serving have been sketchy, only stating that it appeared as if he “created some offences” while there. After praying and reflecting, he determined it was “the end of this particular season.”

However, Moncur has been careful to express gratitude to Bishop Ellis for the opportunity to lead the congregation at Mt Tabor.

“Doing what I did was not easy, but I believe it was a God move.”

Since the move, Revolution Church now consists of some members of Mt Tabor’s pastoral team; some church mothers of Mt Tabor including Bishop Ellis’ mother-in-law; those who would have followed Moncur after he first closed his church; the newly joined members of Mt Tabor; and some new members who joined the new church after the resignation.

Moncur said he endeavours to change and improve the lives of his congregants while upsetting the status quo.

“The revolution in this church is that no one in this church, regardless of their status will go without their needs being met.

“The failure of the church in our times is that in many instances, we have deceptively sought to make the church about God and not about his people as a coverup for our selfish ambition to build up our personal kingdoms and empires where pastors and bishops live like kings while their parishioners suffer like hogs.

“We drive the best, wear the best and we live in the best. We fly all over the world, while our members can hardly pay the two-dollar bridge toll to get over Paradise Island. We eat to our heart’s content, taking the tithes from the single mothers on minimum wage but could care less if she ate or was able to pay her rent or take care of her children.”

Moncur continued, “We have no time to meet with people any more, talk with people or be among people. For too long, we have built kingdoms unto ourselves on the backs of people who were deceived into thinking this was God’s way.

“We use God to control people when in fact, being his representative, we try to be him and violate people.

“Our kingdoms are coming down so that God’s kingdom can truly be built. God is reclaiming his church, his throne and his people,” Moncur said.

Before Moncur’s appointment to Mt Tabor, Bishop Ellis sought to appoint US-based Bahamian Pastor Dario Carey as senior pastor, but Ellis reneged on his promise and suggested that God told him not to do so anymore. So, Carey, his wife and children then moved back to New Orleans where he pastored Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church, and Ellis soon appointed Moncur to the position in an official ceremony.

Moncur changed the dynamic at Mt Tabor, rebranding the church and increasing its membership.

Going forward, Moncur said, “We will challenge the status quo. We will challenge governments, and the unjust systems and policies, as the Holy Spirit leads.

“We are not interested in tradition, religion, selfish and hypocritical ideologies. We have no interest in self-serving, carnal, evil-driven, arrogant, pompous ministry. We are going back to God, we are going back to the Bible.

“We are going back to Jesus culture as our model and as our standard.”

Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson, 31, the two American women who accused two Bahamian male staff members of a local hotel in Grand Bahama, of drugging and raping them, are sticking to their story though CCTV footage seems to prove otherwise.

The footage from surveillance cameras shows Shearer and Dobson posing for a selfie with the accused men before the reported rape, then ambling off into the distance to a secluded spot where they claimed the ordeal took place.

They return on camera forty minutes later from the secluded spot, walk up the beach but does not alarm beachgoers that they were raped. They go to a bathroom and meet a nurse who claims the women had bruises on their legs from the alleged ordeal.

The women are both back in the United States with an attorney after making the egregious claims, appearing on US media castigating law enforcement in the Bahamas for how they were reportedly treated after the ‘ordeal’.

The Bahamian men–Warren Adderley 40, and Spencer Parker 54, accused of rape were released from police custody pending further investigations. Further, Pirate’s Cove and Carnival Cruise Line have refuted the women’s claims after camera footage conflicted with their allegations.

Though the men have not publicly spoken on the matter after their termination from Pirate’s Cove, Parker wished to speak to DailyMail but was advised by an attorney to remain silent on the matter and await the conclusion of the investigation. Family members of the men, though, insisted it was consensual sex.

The FBI Bureau in the Bahamas is assisting local authorities.

Here is a timestamp of the events that unfolded

Images were obtained by the DailyMail.

A tight shot of Shearer and Adderley walking arm-in-arm to a secluded area off the beach around 10:09 am.

The two women holding hands together, appear 40 minutes later, returning to the beach without Adderley. At one point, Shearer (in the peach swimsuit) appears to be extending her arm to take a selfie with her friend.

Another image shows the two women holding hands together after the reported rape, taking another selfie.

The beach at Pirates Cove where Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson say Warren Adderley and Spencer Parker sexually assaulted them

The pair returned to the sand and went inside a restroom where, moments later, they indicated to a female attendant that they felt unwell and claimed to have been drugged. They were assisted by a nurse who was also a passenger on the cruise. They then reported the matter to the hotel manager.

The two women met the two resort workers at Pirates Cove Zipline & Waterpark when their Carnival ship docked in Grand Bahama on February 4.

In interviews with US media, the tearful friends said their four-day cruise turned into a nightmare when Adderley and Parker offered them a two-for-one deal on the resort’s signature cocktails, which are mixed in front of guests and served from coconut shells and hollowed-out pineapples. According to the women, their drinks were spiked.

The two women followed Parker offsite to a secluded patch of woodland (pictured) –  beyond the range of the resort’s cameras – where things took a shocking turn, according to the women.

Pirate’s Cove Beach Getaway package offers an array of activities which Carnival Cruise sells for $57, Carnival released a statement insisting Shearer and Dobson were on an ‘independent shore excursion’.

The women appear distraught in US television interviews, describing the ordeal.

A cousin of the schoolboy killed on Monday believes he was not the target.

“He was an innocent child,” the cousin lamented in a social media post about Chester Forbes, 15.

The family member believes he was taking out the trash around 8 am when a gunman exited a vehicle and then shot and killed him. Forbes was walking with his brother on First Street, The Grove at the time he was killed, but authorities said the older brother was not injured during the ordeal.

The family believes the gunman intended to kill someone else but shot the 15-year-old instead “because they couldn’t get who they wanted.”

“This doesn’t even feel right,” she cried.

The uncle, Antonio Munroe who lived next door to Forbes, said the killing “hit me hard”, telling the Tribune, that the boy whom he affectionately called ‘Pigeon’ was like a son who was “mannerly” and “decent.”

The two would engage in playful banter in the evenings after work.

“You could see this boy was a child. Obviously, whatever happened, they know that wasn’t their target. I don’t know why they went there and shot him.”

The family also refuted any allegations that the boy was a part of a gang. “He isn’t no gang banger. He is not a troublesome person.”

The boy is believed to have sustained multiple gunshots to the body.

Forbes enjoyed playing video games and was his father’s only child.

He was the country’s latest murder victim, driving the total to 26 for the year, which is startling since the year just opened.

Disturbed by the surge in crime, the Bahamas Christian Council hosted a national day of prayer in January. The surge also prompted the government to amend the bail act which would revoke bail for repeat offenders. However, the Opposition believes it doesn’t do enough to reduce crime.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force must be tougher and more diligent in vetting new officers to prevent rogue individuals from joining the force in the first place.

When police reported that one of its own was involved in a shooting on Sunday, wounding a 23-year-old man walking in the area of Cordeaux Avenue, then trying to evade capture by shooting back at officers before he was subsequently arrested, it gave the organization another ‘black eye’.

The RBPF has suffered shame before and is striving to improve the public’s trust in its organization.

The young off-duty officer could have easily gotten away with shooting and killing the victim, returned to work the next day, and pretended as if he had done nothing.

Who knows how many other incidents he is connected to? Proper investigations should determine that.

Imagine reporting an incident to him and he knows well the suspects and the witnesses involved. We may never know the possible outcome.

Unfortunately, this incident further erodes trust in the police.

Perhaps, police vetting standards are not high and tough enough. It is too easy for the wrong people to join the police.

Vetting must be improved so that individuals like him cannot enter the force.

The RBPF must do all it can to ensure the integrity of recruits.

This is crucial as the law enforcement agency seeks to hire new officers to combat the new threatening levels of crime in our society, and the government seeks to fulfil promises to swear in recruits to tackle crime fears.

Officers with criminal records, links to crime, links to criminals, or prospective individuals who may present a risk to the public, should not be considered.

The police must rebuild public trust and vetting recruits must be more rigorous and taken more seriously.

The police must do all possible to prevent unsuitable people from joining the RBPF.

An off-duty Carmichael Station police officer was arrested Sunday along with his mother and four other suspects and could be charged before the courts for shooting a 23-year-old man to the upper body as he walked Cordeaux Avenue.

The police officer who remains unnamed, was the occupant of a white Honda Accord who shot the man around 8 pm, when officers conducting an operation in the area were alerted to gunshots by the Shot Spotter Technology.

Police gave chase as the off-duty police and other occupants attempted to escape capture while shooting at officers.

The car eventually crashed and two of the suspects fled. One of the men attempting to climb a wall received a severe laceration as a result and was arrested.

He was then identified as a police officer.

After medical treatment, he remains detained.

The car in which he occupied had ammunition and a loaded firearm.

A search warrant of his home yielded ammunition and the subsequent arrest of his 41-year-old mother.

The suspects in the vehicle were a 22-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman, and two 26-year-old men.

Social media users were shocked to find out that a police officer was in custody for one of the country’s latest shooting incidents.

“This is simply a disgrace and shameful.” Christine Adderley said. “No integrity…I hope they get the entire hand of the law.”

Coralee Wright asked that the law “make him a good example because he is the law.”

Elgin Rahming said some “bad apples” are on the police force because family, friends and neighbors “lie” when “police come around asking about the character of the individuals who are considering joining the force.”

“We lie and give a good report when we know that the persons are criminals…We can’t give the police force devils and expect angels when they become police officers.”

Authorities said it is committed to holding any person accountable who violates the laws of the Bahamas “regardless of status, title or position.”

Photo credit: Social media circulation