The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER member of Parliament for Long Island is left devastated by the loss of his family island home in a fire over the weekend.

Larry Cartwright’s home at Gray’s, Long Island, burned to the ground early on Friday morning.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Cartwright, a former diplomat, described the harrowing experience of witnessing his home disintegrate before his eyes while he and his wife, Theresa Ann, watched helplessly from the sidelines.

“The fire happened roughly around 7.30am on July 22. No one was in the house. My wife had gone across the street, I was in the garden in the back and no appliances were being used, no stoves were being used. Nothing was in use, except one light on in the kitchen. And the fire started in the corner near the stove. It started in the tiled area of the kitchen,” Mr Cartwright said.

 “The fire wasn’t really put out. The house just burned down and by the time the fire department came there was just the eastern wall left standing. And they had some challenges in getting there and, of course, my cell phone, my wife’s cell phone and we had no communication and we live away from everybody else off the main road.

 “By the time the neighbours saw the smoke and came out there the house was engulfed in flames and they called the police and by the time the police got their water truck down there, there was nothing they could do to save it.”

 While police are currently investigating the matter, the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Both the former MP and his wife are currently staying with Mrs Cartwright’s sister in Goodman’s Cay.

 Although thankfully neither the former MP nor his wife reported any physical injuries from the blaze, Mr Cartwright said that he is left feeling depressed from the whole ordeal.

 He said he and his wife had just finished remodelling their home and that they both, now retirees, find their lives once again upended just as they were starting to settle back down.

 “It’s depressing. It’s not a good feeling to see your life’s work, to see it go up in smoke before your eyes. We just finished renovating the building, putting in new furniture, painting it up and everything, just beginning to enjoy the benefits of being back home and having everything did up and getting ready to get insurance for it, but not in time.

 “But it’s very depressing. It’s a sad situation, but we are not persons who mourn material things, they can be replaced. We are both senior citizens unable to get a job at this age, so we have to rely on our savings that we have to rebuild.”

 Despite recent hardships Mr Cartwright, a lifelong resident of Long Island, expressed his intentions to persevere and remain on his home island to rebuild.

 A gofundme account has been set up to assist the couple in their rebuilding efforts.