The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A MONTH after a Flamingo Air plane plunged into bushes near San Andros airport, relatives of the ten people killed gathered on Friday to remember lives cut short — a pilot who died doing what he loved, entertainers whose music brought people together and young people whose families said they still had plans and dreams ahead of them.

The memorial service at Bahamas Faith Ministries International, hosted by The Bahamas Christian Council, honoured Da Pond band members Giovanni “Geo” McKenzie, Rashad Storr, Mateo Winder, Toniquea Gilot and Tra’vis Johnson; veteran entertainer Melvin Henfield; Andros natives Quintin Myers and Macaro Rolle; pilot Franklyn Cambridge; and 16-year-old Nicholas Oliver Jr.

They died on July 10 after their Flamingo Air aircraft crashed near San Andros airport.

Relatives delivered tributes through video messages during a service marked by hymns, prayers and emotional reflections.

In a message read by organisers, Captain Cambridge’s parents said their son had been drawn to aviation from childhood, often asking for toy planes as gifts, before building a career that spanned nearly three decades.

“Elton, as he was fondly known, had over 27 years of flying experience,” his parents said, “during which time he availed himself of many opportunities to become more certified in aviation techniques, policies, and procedures.”

They said one of his favourite sayings was: “Falling doesn't make you a failure. Staying down makes you a failure. Don't ever give up.”

“He died doing what he loved most in the world,” they said.

Archbishop Dr Elton Major and Reverend Dr Michelle Major remembered their son, Henfield, as an entertainer whose talent could transform a room and leave lasting memories.

“While DJ Fresh's music may have stopped here,” they said, “his song plays on in our stories, in our laughter, in every beat that reminds us of it.”

Tamara Myers broke down in tears while remembering her brother, Quintin Myers, as a source of laughter and energy in the family.

She said he still had plans for his life, including a summer cruise he had been eagerly anticipating. Before his death, he had bought a car and purchased his ticket for the trip.

“He had so many aspirations that I think he never even got to realize,” Ms Myers said, “and I think a lot of people are going to miss that bubbly energy in Quinton.”

She described him as the person who brought the family together.

“He was the glue for the family,” she said. “He changed the room and connected all of us in such a special way.”

Shandera McKenzie-Nottage remembered her brother, Giovanni McKenzie, through a poem she wrote titled “A Moment of Silence”.

“A moment of silence for the friend who became family to so many,” Ms McKenzie-Nottage said, “the encourager, the listener, the steady one, the quiet spring that held others together without ever asking who was holding him.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis told the families that they were not alone in their grief.

“Each has gone on home too soon,” Mr Davis said. “10 seats, 10 families.”

He urged mourners not to allow the circumstances of the crash to overshadow how the victims had lived.

“Their final journey does not define their lives,” he said. “We honor them for the happiness they brought to others, the work they performed, the friendships they nurtured, and the love that they shared.”

Opposition leader Michael Pintard also urged those gathered to preserve the victims’ legacies while making the most of their own lives.

“And so I encourage all of us, as I encourage myself,” Mr Pintard said, “that we have to suck some joy out of this life every single day because we have no idea when it is our last.”