The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

TEARS flowed at CV Bethel Senior High School yesterday as students and teachers gathered to mourn 16-year-old Nicholas Oliver Jr, their first chance as a school community to confront the loss of the 12th-grade student killed during the summer break in the Independence Day plane crash in North Andros.

Nicholas was among ten people killed on July 10 when a Flamingo Air Cessna 402C crashed while approaching San Andros Airport. The tragedy happened before students returned for the new academic year on August 31.

Yesterday, his classmates placed roses on an empty seat set aside in his honour and lit a candle in his memory as relatives, students and staff gathered at the school.

For his mother, Anastasia Rolle, being surrounded by children her son’s age brought the reality of his death painfully close.

“Coming here to the school, seeing these children, I cannot believe,” Ms Rolle said. “How will I do this?”

She said the past two months have been extremely difficult and that receiving confirmation of Nicholas’ death brought back emotions she had struggled to process.

“It’s really hard, and now that I get the results, it's like I was in denial,” she said. “I feel like even though he wasn’t around, hearing it was confirmed he was on the flight just woke up everything. It’s been hard, and it still is.”

Nicholas was the youngest of five children. His mother remembered him as loving, close to her and passionate about Junkanoo.

“Everyone loved him,” Ms Rolle said. “He made a great impact, and Nicholas was the youngest of five kids, so he was the baby, so he was the centre of attention at school.”

She said she never received reports that he was rude or unruly at school.

His homeroom teacher, Carol McIntosh, described him as quiet, reserved and well-mannered and said confirmation of his death overwhelmed his classmates.

“It’s not expected that you would bury a student,” she said, “but it touched our homeroom to the fact that the students couldn’t even respond in the chat group.”

Ms McIntosh said the students were so overwhelmed that the group fell silent.

Principal Monique Miller told the gathering that Nicholas was “more than a student”, describing him as a son, family member, friend, classmate and valued part of the CV Bethel community.

Ms Miller urged students and staff to support one another as they grieve.

“Grief has no timetable,” she said, “and it affects each person differently. Be patient with yourselves and with each other as we navigate this difficult season.”

She encouraged the school community to honour Nicholas through kindness, compassion and love.

“Though Nicholas is no longer physically present among us,” Ms Miller said, “the memories he leaves behind will continue to inspire us.”

She said: “His life matters. His presence matters, and he will not be forgotten.”

Ms Rolle said the family is now preparing for Nicholas’ funeral on October 10 and is struggling with the prospect of burying her youngest child.

“I just be wondering how I can do it,” she said. “I used to be praying and asking God for strength, but I was wondering how I will do that.”

The July 10 crash killed pilot Franklyn Cambridge and all nine passengers aboard. Five members of Da Pond Band — Giovanni McKenzie, Rashad Storr, Mateo Winder, Toniquea Gilot and Tra’vis Johnson — were among the victims, along with entertainer Melvin Henfield and Andros residents Quintin Myers and Macaro Rolle. Nicholas was the youngest person killed.

The aircraft had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport at about 12.30pm and was approaching San Andros Airport when its left wing struck pine trees about one nautical mile from the runway. Investigators said the aircraft was destroyed by a post-impact fire. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority has not determined the cause of the crash.