Advertisement 87
Advertisement 334
The seven students died when a minivan crashed into the sea at Rock Gutter, where this monument was erected in their memory in March 2017. (iWN photo)
The seven students died when a minivan crashed into the sea at Rock Gutter, where this monument was erected in their memory in March 2017. (iWN photo)

By Kenton X. Chance

As Fancy marked 10 years since the Rock Gutter Tragedy that claimed the lives of seven students, some residents of the North Windward village are calling for attention to be paid to the people who survived the tragedy.

Seven students — Anique Alexander, 11; brothers Jamall Edwards, 12, and Jamalie Edwards, 14; Simonique Ballantyne, 13; Chanstacia Stay, 15; Racquel Ashton, 17; and Glenroy Michael, 17 — died when minibus HL636, in which they were travelling to school, careened down a steep section of road and plunged into the sea between Fancy and Owia on Jan. 12, 2015.

Ballantyne and Stay’s bodies were never recovered from the sea.

Of the 14 people who survived the accident, the conductor of the van, Ehud Myers, a pastor, died aged 73, in April 2023, three weeks after suffering a stroke

Advertisement 271

Myers along with the driver of the van, Ravanon Nanton, were prosecuted over the deaths in the crash but were freed of all seven counts of involuntary manslaughter at the preliminary inquiry stage in March 2017.

On Jan. 12 — 10 years to the day of the tragedy, a modest crowd gathered for a memorial service at the Fancy Government School. However, only one of the former students who survived the accident and still lives in St. Vincent and the Grenadines attended the service.

iWitness News was reliably informed that at least one survivor had initially agreed to take part but opted not to do so in the days immediately before and did not attend and another survivor asked their relatives not to attend the service.

Since the service, close relatives of the survivors have told iWitness News that the survivors find the memorials to be emotionally draining.

Israel Roberts Jr
Israel Roberts Jr was the only survivor of the tragedy who is in St. Vincent and the Grenadines who attended the memorial service on Jan. 12, 2025.

They believed that a lot of focus was being placed on the students who died, while those who survived felt as though they had been abandoned and left to struggle with their physical and emotional injuries on their own.

The relatives who spoke to iWitness News requested anonymity, noting the sensitive nature of the situation.

They acknowledge that relatives of the deceased might still be hurting from the pain of their sudden and tragic death.

They, however, said that the survivors are also dealing with their pain and hurt, including the memories of witnessing the death of their friends and relatives.

“Every time they are focusing on the deceased. They are gone to the great beyond; everyone knows that. The survivors need help,” one relative told iWitness News.

iWitness News was reliably informed that some of the survivors did not receive from the public health care system the quality of service that the injured passengers could have reasonably expected immediately after the accident.

For instance, one student was treated at a public hospital and discharged the same day of the accident but spent a night in physical and emotional agony at her home.

The following day, the parents took the student to a private healthcare facility, which found that the student had several bone injuries that the hospital had not diagnosed.

“Sometimes when you speak out on certain things, people get vexed. A pot reaches its boiling point and then it boils no further,” one relative told iWitness News. 

Ralph Gonsalves Jemma Edwards
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves interacts during the memorial service on Jan. 12, 2025, with Jemma Edwards, who lost her sons, Jemalie and Jamall Edwards in the Rock Gutter Tragedy on Jan. 12, 2015.

Additionally, one relative said the government did not live up to its promise of sending some of the survivors overseas for specialist attention for their physical injuries.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, the parents of the deceased students held a vigil at Rock Gutter on Jan. 11 before a wreath-laying and memorial service the following day.

iWitness News was reliably informed that the government stood the full cost of the service

“These things still affect the survivors because they bring back all the memories of what happened to them on that day,” one relative told iWitness News of the memorial service.

“That is why some of the survivors did not attend. It brings back the memories of what they went through,” the relative further said, adding that many of the survivors think that it is time to stop having the memorial services.

“The whole of Fancy thinks so,” the relative said, adding that it appears that some people have benefitted personally from the tragedy. 

Yet another relative felt that the government did not live up to many of the promises that were made in the aftermath of the tragedy including improving the public infrastructure near the home of the survivors whose physical injuries are likely to affect them for a long time. 

“There were promises about their education but that is a different story for a different time,” one relative said.

iWitness News understands that the government had promised the students to pay their tuition if they attended the community college.

At least one student who made it that far paid their tuition when the promise was not kept and never received a refund from the government.

“They are hurting. Many of the survivors still cry when the birthdays of those who died come around. … They should at least have a service for the survivors.”

 Another Fancy resident told iWitness News that their relative who survived the accident does not want to hear anything about it.

The relative said that the survivor did not attend the vigil or the memorial service.

“Since the children get into the accident, half of them seem to be crazy; some of the boys are smoking weed,” another Fancy resident told iWitness News.

The resident, however, noted that one of the survivors has recently enlisted in the police force while another is serving in another country’s armed forces.

“Even some who grew up in Christian homes seem to have lost their way. I don’t think they got enough counselling. Those who died were people who they grew up with, played with, cooked with, and fished with. If you hear some of them talk, you will cry.” 

Rock gutter memorial
People at the service in Fancy on Jan. 12, 2025, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Rock Gutter Tragedy.

The resident told iWitness News that one of the survivors kept saying that one of the students whose body was never recovered is not dead as he had seen her climbing on the rock out of the water after the van went into the sea.

The Fancy resident told iWitness News that one survivor used to recount the effort of Jemalie Edward to save his younger brother, Jamall. The bodies of the brothers were said to have been recovered from the sea holding hands.

“He said Jamalie came out … (of the partially submerged van) and he told him (Jemalie) to get out of the water. And he said no he had to go back for his brother because he heard his brother shouting for help,” the relative told iWitness News.  

“Most of the children don’t want to talk about it and they don’t want to hear about it. How many of them who survived did you see there (at the memorial service)? 

“When we had the case (coroner’s inquest) in Georgetown, the children were crying. So, when you see [the politician] coming with his pretty face he don’t care. They did not build any rail at Rock Gutter or anything.” 

Meanwhile, two people who spoke at the memorial service appealed for help for the survivors of the accident.

Speaking during the open tribute segment of the service, Wendy Michael, whose son, Danny Michael ran from Rock Gutter to Fancy with the news of the tragedy, told the service:

“Some of the survivors, they were walking with God, but I don’t know what happened. They turned their back, and they have gone their own way.”

She called for prayers for the survivors of the accident.

Wendy Michael
Wendy Michael. whose son Danny Michael ran back to Fancy with the news of the tragedy speaks at the memorial service in Fancy on Jan. 12, 2025.

“That morning, I thought the village of Fancy came to a standstill and we couldn’t see the next day. But it has been 10 years,” Michael said.

“It was a sad day, but we are here today still. Let us put our faith and our trust in God. Let us not trust man.”

Meanwhile, opposition senator Shevern John, who was a teacher at the Sandy Bay Secondary School when the tragedy occurred, called for attention to be paid to the survivors.

“This is a day we all must remember. And I’m asking that we must not only remember those who have gone, but we have to remember the survivors,” John said.

“When we look at them, they are still suffering, and they are still in need of help. Psychologically, they are troubled, and I’m asking our community to come together. When you meet them, reach out to them,” the senator said.

“Yes, we have lost seven beautiful souls. I remember speaking to many parents, and I can empathise with them and I can sympathise with them. They have their grief, but those that remain are also grieving. Reach out as a community, encourage their hearts, and most of all, let us pray that they come to know the Lord Jesus,” she said. 

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, Deputy Prime Minister and MP for North Windward Montgomery Daniel and Opposition leader Godwin Friday also attended and spoke at the service.