By Tiffny Rhodius
“I ain’t feeling all that good today,” were the words of 19-year-old Orlon Munroe on Tuesday from his bed in the Burn Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital. For two months now, Munroe has been having good days and not so good days as he recovers from third degree burns over a large portion of his body.
Munroe from Virginia Village, a fisherman, was onboard Captain Lloyd 97 when it exploded 135 miles off the Waini Coast on the morning of June 19.
“I went upstairs. I was going and cook,” he recalled from his bed.
He added that the fire started from the engine room where there was “an expose wire”. He did not say much after that. He lay on his side and stared off, his entire body pinkish white from the burns.
A bandage was around his abdomen and his right arm was bandaged. His legs too were bandaged halfway from his thighs to his ankle. The upper thighs which were visible were not burnt. His feet poking out from the bandage though were pinkish white.
“Ah holding on man,” he said as he continued to stare off into the distance. Munroe looks forward to the day when he can leave the hospital. He said, “Soon as ma foot heal up,” he knows that he will feel better.
Even as he looks forward to getting out of the hospital and serving God, Munroe can’t help reflecting on a job that he enjoyed for three years. “It was a nice wuk and a dangerous wuk at the same time,” but it paid off because of the “catches”. “Production” was high and Munroe said he enjoyed being on a boat in the open waters.
But it isn’t only Munroe who has good and bad days. His family too, especially his mother, is on the emotional rollercoaster with him as he recovers.
At his bedside was his sister, Naudia who said that Munroe was the eighth of nine children.
Naudia explained that every day two family members visit her brother. The second person accompanies her mother who she says cannot be with him alone because she breaks down. “She’s trying to cope. It’s hard,” Naudia explained.
Meanwhile outside of the Unit Cheryl, Munroe’s mother, waited to go back in. Only two persons at a time are allowed to a bed in the Unit. As she donned the overcoat she had lent this reporter to go back in to her son she admitted that it was hard to have to watch her son in his current state.
“It so hard to come and look at he,” the fatigue on the woman’s face showed. For a moment it seemed like she was going to lose her composure but she pulled it together and said what her daughter had said only minutes earlier, “I’m trying.”
Cheryl says that she prays a lot for her son. “A trying and praying is the best ah can do.”
The fishing vessel was owned by Pritipaul Singh Investments and was seriously damaged. Munroe and his four other workmates had to abandon the vessel by jumping overboard. The captain, Delbert Williams, of Cane Grove remains missing.
The others were rescued by another fishing vessel, but were later transferred to another vessel owned by Pritipaul Singh Investment, this newspaper was told.
Following the explosion on the vessel Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud had ordered a full investigation into the incident.
According to a statement issued after the incident, “The Ministry of Agriculture stands committed to assist with the care of the rescued crew members.”
On Tuesday, Naudia said that once a week an official from Pritipaul Singh Investments would come and check on Munroe. She added that they were told that compensation could not be discussed until the investigations were completed by the company.
Cheryl said that she is looking forward to the findings of the investigation and when the matter of compensation was brought up she noted that to date none was made. She added that she would like to know what is happening.
When this newspaper called Pritipaul Singh Investment’s Providence office a manager said that the investigation was ongoing before forwarding this newspaper to Ronald Deen at the Mc Doom plant who he said was authorised to speak to the media on the matter.
When a call was made to Deen Stabroek News was told that he was out.
The company has been reluctant to speak to the media on the incident. Meanwhile, this newspaper learnt that the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) had submitted two reports on investigations done on trawler explosions to Works Minister Robeson Benn.
