The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A STRUCTURAL fire has claimed the life of a mother and daughter and left a man and a juvenile in the hospital.

Residents suspect that Jestine Clarke-Kerr, a renal technician at Princess Margaret Hospital, risked her life trying to save her mother, Yvette Jolly, during the blaze. Sadly, they both died.

Police said they received reports of a structural fire shortly after 1am at Williams Drive off Cowpen Road.

“Moments later a fire Delta Unit arrived on scene at a single-story orange and white stone structure which was engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished. The officers then breached the house and conducted a sweep of the residence,” police said.

“A male and female were rescued. Another female was found unresponsive in a northeastern bedroom. Emergency Medical Service responded to the scene; they examined all the victims and pronounced the unresponsive female lifeless.”

“The medical technicians then transported three persons to the hospital. They include an adult male, an adult female and a juvenile male. The female later succumbed to her injuries.”

Area resident Kenson Anais lives in a property nearby and recalled waking up that morning thinking there was a raid happening.

“When I took a look, they were inside the front house,” he told The Tribune. “So when I opened the door and everybody was getting pulled out from the fire, I was trying to help. They didn’t want me to help. The police didn’t want me to help.

“I saw the man outside laying down (with) hardly no clothes on. Only his shirt on and stuff and I had to give him pants to put on.”

He said he was trying to help the survivor while waiting on an ambulance.

“I just was guiding the man who get burn right up. Keeping him alive until the ambulance came.

“He had to catch himself for like 30 minutes. (For) 30 minutes he couldn’t talk or nothing. He was saying the same thing over and over.”

According to Mr Anais, the gentleman was asking about his family.

“Like where his daughter, how the aunty doing, where his wife, where is the other grammy, his wife grammy – that’s all he was saying over and over. I’m saying ‘everything going to be all right’ and the police told me don’t tell him nothing because they say two deaths in the situation. So, I’m trying keep him calm,” he recounted.

Mr Anais said he heard Mrs Clarke-Kerr made it out of the home, but went back to save a relative.

“I heard she came back out with her son and then as soon as the son looked around, she went back in there and she ran back in to save somebody and that’s the last time you saw her.”

The resident knew both of the women all his life and lamented the tragedy that happened to a “lovable” family.

“It feels horrible. It feels painful. It feels like you gotta be careful in life.”

To him, Mrs Clarke-Kerr was like a “fairy” who “gave you talks to make you feel like a better person in life”. Her husband, Tony who is in hospital, would always hail him when he passed by.

He said Ms Jolly used crutches and normally took her time getting up and moving around.

Yesterday, a statement from the Public Hospitals Authority said the agency and Princess Margaret Hospital are saddened to confirm Mrs Clarke-Kerr’s death.

“Mrs Clarke-Kerr passed away as the result of a house fire early this morning; her husband remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at PMH,” the statement said.

Mrs Clarke-Kerr was posted in the PMH Dialysis Unit at the time of her death and served for 25 years in Nursing Support Services.

“The managing director, senior executives, and all staff of the PHA join the Princess Margaret Hospital management and staff in extending condolences to the children, relatives, friends, and colleagues of Mrs Clark-Kerr. Her service and memories will be cherished forever,” the statement said.

Police have not given a cause for the fire. An investigation is continuing.