The Tribune

MORE than two months after state-of-the-art first responder backpacks, flash frozen food, tools and other survival supplies intended for Hurricane Joaquin relief went missing from a National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) flight to Crooked Island, The Tribune Media Group is still waiting for answers as to what happened to them.

The critical supplies, which had been specially flown in on a chartered DC-3 from the United States to Nassau, went missing or were misplaced on Friday, October 23, leaving Robert Carron, President of the Tribune Media Group, “disheartened”.

The supplies had been marked for delivery to The Tribune team, in care of Gilbert Kemp, the island Administrator. Mr Carron was leading a team - comprised of John Bostwick and his partner Manjit Powar, Mother Pratt’s representative Albert Cox, Dayland Moxey of HeadKnowles and Dion Knowles from Tribune Media Group - to help with the relief efforts as part of The Tribune’s SOS - Save Our South campaign and to broadcast survival stories of those affected by the devastating storm.

The supplies, which Mr Carron said were worth “thousands of dollars”, were US Federal Emergency Management Agency specification packed into two boxes and loaded onto a Flamingo Air flight at 4pm organised by NEMA to the affected islands as part of the relief efforts. NEMA informed The Tribune party that the supplies were en route to Crooked Island and due to arrive at 5.30pm but that the plane was running late. However they later told them that the supplies had been dropped earlier than scheduled at the storm-damaged airport at Colonel Hill. When Mr Carron’s group arrived to pick up their consignment, the supplies were missing and the local Police and Defence Force officers told them none had been unloaded from the plane.

To add to the confusion, NEMA appraised The Tribune Media Group on October 26 that one of the boxes had been dropped in Acklins by mistake. Mr Carron said NEMA, for whom the Assistant Administrator had responsibility for the delivery arrangements, had then offered to ensure reimbursement from the airline. “I would like to thank NEMA for their generous offer,” Mr Carron said. “However, our loyal sponsors would prefer it if our supplies were located, so that they can be delivered to those whom they wished to benefit.”

He said that NEMA’s director, Captain Stephen Russell, had promised a full investigation. However, yesterday Capt Russell said he was unable to report any progress since speaking to Mr Carron before Christmas.

“It is so disheartening that, despite reaching out to NEMA on several occasions, they have not been able to locate these expensive supplies flown from the USA on a chartered DC-3 plane to us,” Mr Carron said. “They have just disappeared into thin air.

“On the Friday afternoon in question, NEMA continuously informed our team for more than three hours that the supplies were onboard and that the plane was running late. Then, suddenly after nightfall in Crooked Island, NEMA informed us that the pilot had miraculously dropped them off - some four hours earlier - in the terminal building. Our team nevertheless looked high and low for our clearly marked large boxes of supplies in the tiny expanse of the damaged empty airport building to no avail. We also went around the island in the pitch dark to find the officers who greeted the flight.

“As a Bahamian whose family has always reached out to all groups inviting them to use the media platforms of our crusading media company in a spirit of unity and togetherness - even donating flight time to NEMA and the Red Cross from our DC-3s chartered by Save The Bays to transport critically needed medicines and other materials - I never imagined that anyone would play games with critical relief supplies. Luckily, we were able to charter our own flight the next day full of food and supplies to re-supply the hard working medical teams, health clinic staff, Defence Force officers and as many residents we could with fresh chicken, fish and meat, produce, canned goods, water and soda.”

“It is so disheartening that we are now investigating the disappearance of our donated, state-of-the-art relief supplies, potentially tarnishing the incredible efforts and hard work of so many from NEMA. We knew that by saluting the rebuilding efforts of all and relaying amazing stories of survival from residents so adversely affected by Hurricane Joaquin, the added exposure of our team living on the island would be a catalyst for change.”