A tragic incident in Exuma has reignited serious concerns about emergency healthcare accessibility after a 29-year-old man succumbed to injuries sustained in a hit-and-run accident following a critical delay in ambulance response.
Deno Rolle, a local boat captain with nearly eleven years of experience, was struck by an unidentified vehicle while riding a borrowed motorcycle along Queen’s Highway near Hooper’s Bay on Tuesday evening. The impact threw him from the vehicle, resulting in severe traumatic injuries to his head and knee.
Family members who arrived at the scene described finding Rolle unresponsive and bleeding profusely. Bystanders attempted to provide comfort but were unable to move him due to the severity of his injuries. For approximately fifty-eight minutes, relatives maintained a vigil awaiting emergency medical transport.
Rolle was eventually transported to Exuma Healthcare Facility where medical staff provided treatment, but he deteriorated while awaiting airlift to New Providence and passed away around 11 PM.
His sister Lakesha Rolle acknowledged the quality of care at the medical facility but questioned whether the extended ambulance response time might have affected her brother’s survival chances. ‘The air ambulance didn’t take long. It’s just that it is what it is,’ she stated, while emphasizing the prolonged ground transport delay.
The incident has prompted renewed criticism from community advocates including Free National Movement candidate Debra Moxey Rolle, who highlighted that Exuma residents have repeatedly raised concerns about emergency response capabilities. She called for permanent ambulance stationing on the island to address persistent service gaps.
Meanwhile, the search continues for the hit-and-run driver who fled the scene without rendering assistance. Moxey Rolle appealed for the responsible party to come forward: ‘If it wasn’t intentional, turn yourself in, just face the consequences.’
Rolle is remembered by family as the youngest of six siblings who recently committed to attending his nephew’s school meeting in his sister’s stead. Relatives also recalled his heroic actions in previously saving a tourist from drowning, underscoring the community’s loss of a valued member.