37 kids in mourning By Denise Clarke, Staff Reporter WESTERN BUREAU: THIRTY-SEVEN children have been left fatherless as the fishing village of Whitehouse in Westmoreland continues to mourn the disappearance of nine of its fishermen. The men left shore on Wednesday, August 15, in two boats, Kerrian and Troy, but did not return home as expected on Monday August 20. The police have theorised that the men got into difficulties and drowned due to rough sea conditions caused by tropical storm Chantal. A Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) rescue team called off its search for the men last Wednesday, after two days of combing the sea unsuccessfully. Missing are 42-year-old Brenton Ebanks, Gregory Bernard, 34; Elroy Campbell, 29; Neville Taylor, 30; Junior Rowe, 29; Evon Morgan, 34; Osbourne Morgan, 41; Delroy Hannah, 40; and 48-year-old Theopilus Crowl. A fishing line inscribed with the name "Elroy Campbell" was discovered at sea by a fisherman on Tuesday, confirming the community's worst fears that the men have perished. "It is mood of mourning and sadness on the beach," said chairman of the Whitehouse-based Gillings Gully Fishermen's Co-operative Havlan Honeyghan. "We are brothers in trade, and so we share the grief because we have to go out to sea just the same." The men all together have left to mourn 37 children ranging in age from one month to 18 years, most of whom will be going out to school next week. A trust fund has been set up to assist the families of the fishermen. Mr. Honeyghan told The Gleaner yesterday that the response to the fund has been good, with about $29,000 already been raised. "We are trying to get school supplies together for the children, as well as to arrange counselling for the children and spouses," he said. "We are also trying to get in touch with the Ministry of Education for assistance with the school fees." Mr. Honeyghan said he is hoping to have the fund established nationally, so that resources can be available to assist the families of fishermen, whenever a mishap of this nature occurs. "From time to time when fishermen are lost we have to go begging, we want to cut that out. We will also be asking the fishermen to contribute a small amount regularly to the fund so that it can grow," he said. Mr. Honeyghan said his agency plans to approach international agencies for financial assistance to install central communication system on the island's fishing beaches. "We are recommending that a central communication system be installed on each fishing beach across the island, where the arrival and departure of the boats are registered, and you know when they are due back. This will need a lot of resources, as it would have to be a 24-hour operation."
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