After coping with third degree burns for three months, fisherman Orlon Munroe succumbed on Sunday, leaving his family stunned.
Munroe, 19, of Virginia Village, sustained the burns after the trawler he was working on, Captain Lloyd 97, exploded into flames about 135 miles off the Waini Coast on the morning of June 19. He was subsequently admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Burn Care Unit.
When Stabroek News visited Munroe in the hospital last month, he was looking forward to leaving it but pointed out that it depended on his feet healing.
At his home in Cane Grove, Mahaica, yesterday, his father, Maxwell Munroe said, “I’m surprised to know Orlon gone,” adding that he had shown “great improvement.” He pointed out that colour was returning to his son’s skin when he last visited him, and only his legs and his chest still showed signs of severe damage. He shared that the doctor told the family that Munroe’s foot had to be grafted.
An official from Pritipaul Singh Investments, which owned the ill-fated trawler, conveyed sympathy on behalf of the company to Munroe’s father and sister at the family home yesterday. “We are all in a state of shock. As a company we are in shock to know that he was improving and then he passed,” the man, who declined to be named, told them. He assured them, when Munroe’s father questioned how the accident happened, that “maintenance work is done on every boat after every trip” adding that the company “is anxiously awaiting a copy of the report to see the findings and recommendations.”
An investigation into the explosion was launched after the accident. The captain of the vessel, Delbert Williams, of Cane Grove, remains missing. The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) had submitted two reports on investigations done on trawler explosions to Works Minister Robeson Benn. Efforts to contact Benn on the findings of that report were futile yesterday as this newspaper was told that the minister was part of the delegation meeting the visiting Surinamese President. Calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.
According to one of Orlon’s sisters, his death left the family in disbelief. She explained that when they first got the news of his accident, they had thought that he would not have survived.
But with his extended hospitalisation, the family believed he would have lived through the accident. Everyone was “in a state of shock,” she said.
“Orlon is my shadow…anything is me and Orlon,” Maxwell, who was sitting on the floor, said in disbelief. He added that while he worried about his son being injured on the job he never envisioned it would be by an explosion. The man said that he would worry that his son would be caught up in a storm or injured while operating the “winch” on the vessel. “I never got no fear of the explosion,” he said shaking his head.
Orlon had told this newspaper in the hospital that he loved the job he did. “It was a nice wuk and a dangerous wuk at the same time,” but it paid off because of the “catches.” He also said he enjoyed being on a boat in the open waters.
At the time this newspaper visited the family at home, Orlon’s mother, Cheryl was away with another sister finalising arrangements following his death. Speaking on the phone later, she said, “I was so shocked! Orlon ain’t show no sign that he would die.”
Cheryl said that Saturday was the last day that she saw her son alive. “He was complaining of tummy pain since Wednesday or Thursday and we say is wind and even the doctor said is wind.” She added that he told her that the pain “hurt him to the heart.
“Saturday ah feed him but he ain’t eat much. He say mommy me belly feel full up. Ah ask if he want me mek lil Complan fuh he and he tell me he want water. He does normally have he eye open but ah had to tell he ‘boy open ya eye and look at me and drink this lil thing.’”
On Sunday, the woman, said, when she and two others arrived at the hospital some minutes after midday, they were met by the nurse at the entrance of the Burn Care Unit and they were told “y‘all can’t come in Orlon ain’t doing well.” Cheryl added that the nurse then sent for the doctor, who arrived shortly after went into the unit and came out and told them that he was dead.
The woman, who was overcome by the news, took ill and her “blood pressure went up” and she had to be treated in the Accident and Emergency Unit. Yesterday, she added that she was feeling a little better given the circumstances. “Orlon too loving! He was very nice,” she said, while pointing out how he was a big help to his father.
A post-mortem examination is to be done some time this week.
