标签： Bahamas

A landmark graduation ceremony unfolded at Nassau’s Word of Truth Ministries this week, where nine young men between the ages of 14 and 19 crossed the stage to mark the end of a four-month intensive leadership and life skills development journey through the NexGen Young Men Mentorship Programme. As the fourth cohort of participants to complete the nation-focused initiative, these trainees built foundational capabilities over 10 skill-building workshops and two orientation sessions held between March and June 2024.

The program’s curriculum was crafted to address gaps in youth preparation for adulthood, covering far more than standard academic learning. Workshop topics ranged from core professional competencies like leadership, communication, and financial literacy to practical life skills including etiquette, home maintenance, basic automotive care, and personal health and wellness. The curriculum is intentionally designed to equip participants for both long-term career success and active community engagement, aligning with the program’s core theme: “Serve Locally, Lead Globally, Building Character, Capacity, and Commitment to Country”.

Founded by former Bahamian senator Ronald Duncombe, NexGen operates as an entirely nonpartisan initiative, open to young men from all political backgrounds with no party affiliation requirements for entry. Duncombe explained that every applicant undergoes a rigorous vetting interview to confirm their genuine commitment to personal growth before being accepted into the cohort. This selective process has cultivated a group of driven young people with clear, ambitious career goals spanning high-demand and public-facing fields, from neurosurgery and aviation to engineering, politics, and other areas of public service.

Duncombe praised the cohort’s clarity of purpose, noting that unlike many teens their age who may be uncertain about their future paths, these graduates spoke with unwavering conviction about their intended careers. “I am so proud to say to you that we have some future leaders and future men coming in our country,” he shared in his address to attendees. The graduation event drew high-level government representation, including three sitting Bahamian Cabinet ministers: Fred Mitchell, Pia Glover-Rolle, and Keith Bell. Senator Clint Watson delivered official remarks on behalf of Prime Minister Philip Davis, reinforcing the government’s recognition of the program’s value for national youth development.

During the ceremony, each graduate received a professional briefcase, a symbolic gift representing their readiness to enter professional spaces and pursue new opportunities. Duncombe urged the new graduates to prioritize three core principles as they move forward: protecting their personal reputations, building intentional professional and community relationships, and always showing up prepared for interviews, meetings, and unexpected opportunities that will shape their futures. He also highlighted the long-term impact of the program, noting that previous NexGen cohorts have gone on to build successful careers across a wide range of critical national sectors, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, media and communications, accounting, professional sports, and aviation.

In his remarks, Senator Watson emphasized that professional preparedness and presentation are only the first step to lasting success. He stressed that consistent character, intentional action, and reliable commitment to fulfilling responsibilities are far more critical to achieving long-term goals. Cabinet Minister Fred Mitchell centered his keynote address on a pressing public issue facing Caribbean youth: pervasive interpersonal violence among young men. He urged the graduates to reject cycles of conflict and make deliberate, forward-thinking choices that will allow them to build long, productive lives that contribute to their communities.

Speaking on behalf of the 2024 graduating cohort, class representative Fisk Burrows Jr. reflected on the transformative impact of the program. He shared that the four-month journey had not only built critical practical skills but also strengthened the graduates’ overall confidence, fostered greater personal independence, and deepened their understanding of what ethical, effective leadership requires for community and national progress.

In the wake of a deadly July 10 plane crash near San Andros Airport that claimed all ten lives on board, furloughed staff from regional carrier Flamingo Air are scrambling to plot new career paths, as lingering questions about the airline’s ability to resume operations grow more urgent.

The Bahamas’ aviation regulator immediately suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate following the crash, putting 35 employees on indefinite unpaid leave pending the final outcome of the official investigation into the disaster. With no clear timeline for a resolution, workers have been forced to draw down personal savings to cover basic living expenses while waiting for official guidance from airline leadership.

Many are still waiting on promised unemployment support from the country’s National Insurance Board, with multiple employees confirming they have only just completed the required application paperwork and have yet to receive any financial assistance. One worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told local outlet The Tribune, “We haven’t received anything yet. We were just filling out forms and getting our documents.”

While the sudden suspension has left most employees in professional and financial limbo, some have reframed the uncertainty as an opportunity to pivot to new careers or pursue long-held entrepreneurial goals. One furloughed staff member noted, “I’m quite fine. I’ve actually been looking into avenues to do my own thing so I don’t know if this is the avenue here.”

Not all workers have been able to secure alternative income, however. Another employee shared that she has yet to find a new role, adding, “We’re trying to figure out what’s going on.” Despite the lack of communication from Flamingo Air’s management in the weeks since the crash, many employees still hold out hope that the carrier will eventually be cleared to restart operations.

A new layer of controversy has emerged around the crash following revelations that Flamingo Air had been linked to at least 14 publicly recorded safety incidents and accidents over the previous 20 years, long before the July 10 disaster. Energy, Utilities and Aviation Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis has previously acknowledged that regulators have not yet explained why the airline’s operating certificate was not suspended years earlier, given its long track record of safety issues.

Aviation authorities have committed to releasing a preliminary investigative report on the crash no later than August 10, a document that will shape both the future of Flamingo Air and the fates of its 35 out-of-work employees.

A landmark medical negligence ruling from the Bahamas Supreme Court has held Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) legally responsible for the 2022 death of a newborn baby girl, finding critical gaps in maternal and foetal monitoring during a 27-minute wait for an emergency caesarean section directly caused the infant’s fatal injury.

Acting Justice Raynard Rigby KC delivered the judgment last week in a wrongful death claim brought by Widline Guillaume, whose daughter Elizabeth Lundy died just two hours after birth on August 2, 2022. The ruling followed a three-day bench trial in June that pitted competing expert testimony against one another, debating whether the newborn died from undiagnosed congenital heart disease or preventable oxygen deprivation.

Guillaume first arrived at PMH’s public maternity ward late on August 1, 2022, at 39 weeks and three days gestation, after reporting regular contractions and abdominal cramping. She began active pushing at approximately 2:05 a.m., with initial assessments conducted by Dr. Azaria Clare around 3:30 a.m. Lead obstetrician Dr. Agatha Foulkes-Mackey arrived shortly before 4 a.m., and the medical team quickly determined a caesarean section was necessary after labour stalled.

By 4:10 a.m., Guillaume had reached the entrance to the operating theatre, but a mandatory COVID-19 test requirement delayed her admittance until 4:37 a.m. The test result was finalized at 5:10 a.m., the surgical incision was made five minutes later, and Elizabeth was delivered alive at 5:20 a.m. Justice Rigby explicitly cleared the medical team of unreasonable delay in scheduling or executing the emergency procedure, noting Dr. Clare and Dr. Foulkes-Mackey acted promptly to move Guillaume toward surgery. But he drew a clear line between the timeliness of the procedure itself and the complete lack of monitoring during the 27-minute waiting period.

Prior to the decision to order an emergency caesarean, cardiotocography readings had already recorded a T1 deceleration in the foetus’s heart rate, a clear indicator of early foetal distress that required ongoing continuous monitoring. Despite this, no medical staff recorded any data on Elizabeth’s condition between 4:10 a.m. and 4:37 a.m. Justice Rigby rejected the defence’s argument that limited hospital resources left no handheld monitoring devices available for use during the wait, calling the explanation unconvincing and legally inadequate. He emphasized that the need for an emergency caesarean alone created a binding obligation on the hospital to maintain consistent monitoring of both mother and child, even while waiting for test results. Additional evidence from a prenatal ultrasound two months prior to delivery had shown no foetal abnormalities, with normal amniotic fluid levels and healthy foetal movement and function.

After birth, Elizabeth received relatively healthy Apgar scores of seven and eight at the one-minute and five-minute checks, respectively. But her condition declined rapidly while being transported from the operating theatre: nursing records document that she grew pale, developed cyanosis (a blue-gray discoloration of the skin caused by oxygen deprivation) in her face, hands and feet, and required urgent transfer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts including chest compressions, the newborn died later that same morning.

In his ruling, Justice Rigby repeatedly criticized gaps in the evidence presented by the defence. No staff members involved in post-delivery care testified to explain the rapid deterioration of Elizabeth’s condition, and no detailed records of post-birth monitoring were entered into the court record. Most notably, an autopsy was never performed to confirm the cause of death, a step both expert witnesses agreed would have clarified the fatal outcome. Defence expert Dr. Paul Ward argued Elizabeth’s death was the result of an undiagnosed congenital heart defect, but claimant expert Dr. Carlos Athlestan Chase testified the death stemmed from perinatal asphyxia, or oxygen deprivation, consistent with the cause of death listed on the infant’s death certificate.

Justice Rigby ultimately sided with the claimant’s expert, noting Guillaume’s prenatal records showed no indication of a congenital heart condition, and all prior cardiovascular screenings were normal. He concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, the 27-minute gap in monitoring caused the fatal oxygen deprivation that killed Elizabeth.

The ruling also pointed to broader procedural failures in the case: key clinical guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which were widely discussed during the trial, were never formally entered into evidence. PMH’s official COVID-19 testing protocols for surgical patients, which directly caused the waiting period that led to the monitoring gap, were also not produced for the court. Justice Rigby further criticized both parties for failing to pursue mediation or out-of-court settlement before proceeding to trial, noting the amended claim for only $10,950 in special damages (covering medical fees, medication, and funeral costs) was not excessive, and the case was well-suited for alternative dispute resolution. “This case is an ideal one for mediation,” the judge wrote. “A qualified mediator would more likely have led the parties to a sensible compromise.”

Moving forward, the Supreme Court has ordered that total damages owed to Guillaume be assessed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, and ruled that the hospital and Dr. Foulkes-Mackey will be responsible for covering Guillaume’s legal costs if the two sides cannot agree on a final damage amount.

Robert Dupuch Carron, who served as deputy chairman of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) at the time of the incident, called the outcome a tragedy, saying he was deeply distressed that the case took as long as it did to reach a resolution. He added that he has confidence in the current PHA board leadership to address systemic gaps in care and implement changes to reduce the risk of similar preventable deaths in the future.

A shocking viral video capturing a bullying incident at CH Reeves has ended in an extraordinary show of forgiveness, bringing two feuding teenagers together in a shared summer youth employment program after a coordinated intervention by local advocacy groups, law enforcement, and both boys’ families.

The widely circulated clip, which spread rapidly across social media platforms in recent days, showed a 13-year-old student surrounded by a crowd of peers who pressured another teen to assault him. Rather than engaging in the confrontation, the targeted teen refused to fight and eventually fled the group. The footage sparked widespread public outrage, but it also spurred Khandi Gibson, founder and president of the Bahamas-based advocacy organization Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM), to step in before the conflict escalated into further harm.

“I was disturbed about the video, and I asked if anybody knew this young man’s parents to please have them reach out to me because I would like to personally get him ready for school,” Gibson explained in an interview. “We have other people who saw the video and didn’t do anything. But God just tell me, ‘Man, I have to step in. I can’t be seeing something like that and don’t intervene.’”

After members of the public shared contact information with Gibson, she connected with Genal Bodie, the targeted teen’s mother, on a Saturday night and met the entire family the very next morning. She offered Bodie’s son a spot in one of FOAM’s two annual summer youth programs: a skill-building summer camp with classes in math, English, arts and crafts, gardening, and educational field trips, or the “Our Community Matters” junior workforce program, which provides hands-on work experience for young people. The teen opted for the workforce placement.

Hours later, the father of the teen identified as the aggressor reached out to Gibson to seek a peaceful resolution. Gibson proposed a joint conflict-resolution meeting at the Grove Police Station, with senior officers agreeing to host and support the discussion. On the day of the meeting, something unexpected happened: the 13-year-old bullying victim asked Gibson to give his alleged aggressor a spot in the same workforce program he had just joined.

Gibson recalled the moment with awe: “The funniest thing about it is, the little boy who was actually getting bullied — and he still called him his friend — he said ‘Ms Gibson, you can’t give my friend a job where I work at FOAM too?’ I am saying to myself, this boy just [had someone try] fight him and he had to break off running and he asking for a job for him.”

Gibson granted the request, and both boys started work at FOAM’s headquarters the same day. Their daily tasks include answering incoming phone calls, greeting office visitors, and supporting other administrative and operational tasks. Through the program, both teens earn a weekly stipend and receive free daily lunch, in addition to building foundational professional skills.

Gibson says the pair have already put their prior conflict behind them. “You should see those two working together today. They’re like nothing ever happened,” she said.

The outcome offers a powerful lesson in the capacity of young people to extend forgiveness even in the wake of harm, Gibson noted, echoing a religious framing to emphasize the moment: “I said that’s why the Bible tells us, unless we become as these little ones, we can’t enter the kingdom of God, because little children are forgiving.”

Gibson extended public gratitude to the Grove Police Station’s senior leadership team, led by Chief Superintendent Christlyn Skippings, for their collaboration in facilitating the mediation. Moving forward, police plan to identify the other teens who appear in the viral video and organize a separate roundtable discussion with their families to address the incident and prevent future conflict.

Gibson says she hopes this community-centered intervention will serve as a replicable model for addressing youth conflict across the region, proving that early, collaborative action can stop disputes from escalating into serious violence. “Let’s start the trend somewhere,” she said.

One of the deadliest civilian aviation incidents in recent Bahamian history, which claimed 10 lives during an Independence Day flight, has entered a critical new phase of investigation, with recovered wreckage now shipped to the United States for detailed forensic examination. The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA), the national body leading the probe, confirmed this week that all salvaged aircraft components—including both of the plane’s engines—have been transported for analysis at two separate U.S. facilities: a secure investigative site in Jacksonville, Florida, and the engine manufacturer’s dedicated assessment center in Mobile, Alabama.

These technical examinations form a core pillar of the AAIA’s ongoing safety-focused investigation, designed to help experts piece together the exact sequence of events that led to the crash and identify any underlying factors that contributed to the disaster. In a public statement clarifying the scope of its work, the AAIA emphasized that the probe’s sole mandate is to advance aviation safety: by pinpointing existing safety gaps, the authority will develop targeted corrective recommendations to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

Crucially, the AAIA noted that its safety investigation is completely separate from any parallel probes conducted by the Bahamas’ judicial, legal, or regulatory bodies, and it is not intended to assign blame or establish civil or criminal liability for the crash.

The recovery of wreckage from the crash site was completed between July 22 and 24, carried out by the AAIA with technical support from SouthEast Air Recovery, a Florida-based firm specialized in aviation accident recovery. The downed aircraft was a Flamingo Air Cessna 402C, which was operating a scheduled passenger route from New Providence to North Andros when it crashed close to San Andros Airport on Independence Day.

Initial witness and on-site evidence confirms the plane first collided with trees before traveling a short distance and coming to a stop in a heavily wooded area, where the wreckage was subsequently destroyed by post-crash fire. Of the 10 people on board, one individual survived the initial impact and escaped the damaged aircraft, but later succumbed to their injuries, bringing the total death toll to 10.

The investigation remains in its opening phase, which is focused on the systematic collection, documentation, and preservation of all available evidence, the AAIA confirmed. Once this evidence-gathering stage is concluded, the probe will advance to its second phase: comprehensive data analysis, during which investigators will evaluate every piece of factual material, including results from the wreckage examinations, flight recorded data, aircraft operational records, maintenance logs, weather data from the day of the crash, witness testimony, and all other relevant evidence.

The third and final phase of the investigation will be the presentation of findings, which will conclude with the preparation and publication of a full final report. This document will include any safety recommendations the AAIA deems necessary to strengthen national and regional aviation safety.

In a timeline update, the authority announced that a preliminary report into the crash is expected to be released on or before August 10. In line with international aviation investigation standards, a full final report is projected to be published approximately one year after the date of the crash, though the AAIA cautioned that this timeline may be adjusted if additional investigative work is required to resolve outstanding questions.

A violent bullying incident at C.H. Reeves Junior High School has sparked widespread public outrage after a viral video captured a group of students surrounding and attacking a 13-year-old boy, who was ultimately forced to flee for his safety across school grounds. The incident, which unfolded during summer classes for incoming eighth-grade students last Thursday, has also drawn sharp criticism over alleged failures by school administration to protect the victim, according to his mother Genal Bodie.

The confrontation traces back to a heated group phone call the night before the attack, when multiple participants mocked the 13-year-old following the recent death of his grandmother. When the boy pushed back against the insults, the attackers planned to target him at school the next day, a escalation he never anticipated. On Thursday morning, tensions boiled over: at least eight boys cornered the teen on campus, with one attacker ordering another to strike the victim before a boy in a black head wrap shoved him. The victim repeatedly refused to fight, telling the group the primary aggressor was once his friend, but his attempts to de-escalate only egged on the crowd. Surrounding students jeered and urged the attackers to continue, with some shouting calls to seriously hurt the teen. One attacker grabbed the 13-year-old by the shirt, another slapped him in the head, and a third threatened the victim by claiming he had a knife. Overwhelmed, the teen ran for his life, with the entire group chasing him across the school campus.

After escaping the pursuit, the teen fled to the school administration office to request help, saying he feared for his safety if he tried to walk home alone. According to Bodie, school officials contacted the parents of the attacking students, notified them their children would face suspension through September, and asked the families to pick up their children from campus. However, no administrator reached out to Bodie to inform her of the incident, nor did any staff arrange safe transport home for her son. When the teen eventually left campus on his own, he found the entire group of attackers waiting for him just outside the school gate. Only the quick intervention of the victim’s cousin, a school security officer, prevented further violence: she pulled the boy into her car for protection while other security personnel ordered the group to disperse.

Bodie said she first sensed something was wrong when her son arrived home earlier than usual, but he hid the full extent of the attack from her because she lives with a seizure disorder and he did not want to cause her additional stress. The teen initially only told her a few boys had tried to fight him, and said the school had resolved the issue. It was only after Bodie noticed a lump on her son’s head and swelling along his cheek that she began pressing for more details, and she learned the full truth only when a neighbor’s daughter shared the viral video with her while the pair ran errands.

“When I saw the video, I felt my knees go weak,” Bodie told local outlet The Tribune. “Watching that happen to my child was heartbreaking — I felt every blow he took, every bit of fear he went through. When I showed it to him, he just started trembling; it was only then that the full trauma of what happened really hit him.”

Bodie questioned the school’s handling of the incident, saying: “What were the teachers and administrators at C.H. Reeves thinking? Aren’t they parents themselves? How could they let my son walk out of the gate when the same boys who just attacked him were waiting there for him?”

Bodie, who is now considering transferring her son to a different school for his safety, reported the incident to police on Friday and accompanied officers to the campus to demand answers about the school’s response. She acknowledged that her son had been involved in two minor fights in the past, and had completed a two-week behavioral program to learn conflict resolution skills after yielding to peer pressure to fit in. Still, she said the attackers must be held legally accountable for their actions, warning that unaddressed bullying could easily end in tragedy.

As of press time, police have not released any updates on the investigation, including whether any attackers have been taken into custody. The viral video of the incident has spread rapidly across social media in the region, racking up nearly 1,000 shares and more than 700 comments by the time local media reported on the case. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation of the attack, with many social media users praising the 13-year-old for avoiding a fight and escaping the dangerous situation, while questioning the upbringing of the students involved.

Khandi Gibson, president of local advocacy group Families of All Murder Victims, has called for an urgent meeting with all families involved to resolve the conflict, and urged the broader community to take a public stand against bullying. She praised the 13-year-old as a hero for choosing to run rather than escalate the violence, and has organized community support for the victim: she is gifting him a new phone for the upcoming school year, and community members have stepped forward to donate school supplies, with response overwhelming. “This child endured humiliation, fear and embarrassment that no young person should ever have to face at school,” Gibson said. “It’s long past time we stood together to put a stop to this kind of senseless violence.”