The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

PRESTON McKenzie was supposed to fly to New Providence to reunite with his wife and children. Instead, his body was found inside his overturned car in waters near the Barraterre bridge in Exuma, a death his family says should force urgent attention to the bridge’s poor lighting, limited guardrails and lack of proper warning signs.

Police said officers at the George Town Police Station received reports shortly before noon on April 30 that a man had been found unresponsive in waters near the Barraterre bridge.

When officers arrived, they found a blue Honda Civic overturned and partially submerged on the northern side of the bridge. Inside the vehicle was an unresponsive man, partially covered with a white sheet and dressed in a white and blue shirt and black shorts.

A local doctor pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police said a concerned citizen noticed the vehicle in the water before officers arrived and used a tool to gain access, helping to remove the victim.

Initial findings suggest the driver may have lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the bridge and into the water.

Mr McKenzie’s daughter, Pruzyia McKenzie, said her father had moved back to Exuma to be closer to relatives. He was expected to visit his wife and children in New Providence on Thursday, but he never made the flight.

She last spoke to him the day before his body was found.

“My daddy was supposed to be here,” she said through tears. “My daddy was dead from Wednesday night in that water.”

“We were expecting to see my daddy not plan a funeral."

Ms McKenzie said they spoke on Wednesday about his travel plans. Later that day, her sister messaged him, but he did not respond. When he failed to appear for Thursday’s flight, the family became worried. Calls and messages to his phone went unanswered.

She said a cousin in Exuma later called with the news that her father had been found dead in his car, submerged in water.

Ms McKenzie said it remains unclear exactly when the car went overboard. She said her brother told her their father’s body was extremely stiff when it was removed, suggesting it had been there for some time. The family believes he may have drifted off the road while heading home.

Ms McKenzie said the Barraterre bridge has long been dangerous, citing the lack of lighting at night, the curve that limits visibility, and the absence of proper warning signs and sufficient guardrails.

A video shared with The Tribune showed the vehicle submerged in water after appearing to go over the guardrail. There was little signage warning of the bridge or the sharp curve ahead.

“The bridge is not safe. The bridge needs to be fixed. My daddy isn't the first one who went over that bridge. Two persons went over that bridge, but they survived,” she said.

Ms McKenzie said her father was a retired prison officer who recruited dozens of officers, many of whom are devastated by his death.

He had been planning to open a business for the upcoming Barraterre festival. He was a husband and father of three, described by his daughter as loving, humble and the life of the party — always smiling or dancing.

She also recalled receiving a video from the last night he was alive, showing him making a toast with a group. She said he repeatedly said he was going to heaven.

Ms McKenzie said she hopes her father’s death forces long-overdue repairs to the bridge, adding that she does not want another life lost.