The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

SENATOR Maxine Seymour has called for national reflection and stronger child-safety measures after the country recorded four child deaths across three islands in the first weeks of the year, describing the toll as “too many, too young, too soon”.

The Shadow Minister for Social Services, Information and Broadcasting said the recent deaths, including Monday’s drowning of a five-year-old boy in Murphy Town, Abaco, should prompt a renewed focus on vigilance, community responsibility and prevention.

“As a mother and grandmother, these deaths sit heavily with me,” she said. “No family expects to begin a new year with this kind of grief. Four young lives are gone before the end of the second week of January. Too many. Too young. Too soon.”

Police said the Abaco child was reported missing shortly after 1pm and was later found unresponsive in seawater along a back road in Murphy Town. He was helped from the water by a concerned citizen and taken to the hospital by Emergency Medical Services, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 3pm.

The incident was the fourth involving a child since January 1. On New Year’s Day, a seven-year-old girl in Pinewood Gardens died after reportedly ingesting a food product while at a residence. On January 3, a three-year-old girl died after becoming ill at a home in Nassau Village, while later that same day, a ten-year-old boy collapsed while playing in a park in Blackwood, Eleuthera, and could not be revived.

Ms Seymour said her remarks were not about apportioning blame but about collective responsibility.

“This is not about pointing fingers,” she said. “This is about all of us remembering that every child in this country deserves our protection. Whether they are in our homes, neighbourhoods, parks or near the water, we must be present, attentive and intentional. Our children depend on us, every one of us, we are their village.”

She said the deaths highlighted the need for stronger public awareness, community support and consistent safety practices, including wider access to first-aid and CPR training.

“Our children deserve a country where their safety is not left to chance,” she said. “We cannot allow these tragedies to pass without learning from them. Each child lost is a national loss, and we honour their memories by doing everything we can to prevent another.”

Ms Seymour also called for timely and transparent investigations, including the release of autopsy findings, to inform national prevention efforts.

“We need clear answers, and we need them quickly,” she said. “Information is power and will help families find closure, while helping all of us to understand what went wrong so we can avoid it happening again.”

She extended condolences to the affected families and urged the country to mourn with them.

“Losing a child must be a parent’s absolute worst nightmare,” Ms Seymour said. “May these families feel the love and support of a country that mourns with them.”