Pamella Miller cries openly at her home in Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine, yesterday as news spread that her common-law partner, William McDonald, drowned at sea sometime between Saturday and Sunday morning. Trying to comfort Miller is McDonald's mother, Icilda Bailey. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:

A CRUEL twist of fate turned a routine fishing trip into tragedy for the Old Harbour Bay community as one man drowned after the vessel he was in overturned on the rough seas. Two other boatmen who were also in the capsized vessel were found stranded at sea.

Dead is William McDonald, a 48-year-old fisherman of Old Harbour Bay and Hayes, Clarendon. Harold Campbell and a man known only as 'Tata' were rescued by persons who went in search of them yesterday morning.

An alarm was raised when the fishermen, who left Old Harbour Bay on Saturday morning about 6:00, did not return.

A search party rescued Tata and Campbell the following morning when they were discovered clinging to an igloo cover near Rocky Point.

"Tata seh im see when im go dung and dat's the las' of 'im," remarked Pamella Miller, McDonald's fiance.

Mourning

When The Gleaner visited McDonald's residence, tears flowed freely as she and other relatives mourned.

"My best friend and lover gone, I can't believe it. Him kiss me Saturday morning and tell me that he is going to catch fish and me don't see him again and now him dead," cried Miller, while being consoled by Icilda Bailey, McDonald's mother, who also mourned her son's death.

Bad omen

"Ah the second one me lose in a recent time and me cry already so mi nuh av nuh eye wata lef. Right now ah don't know what a going to do," she said.

Several persons claimed that Easter had always brought a bad omen to the fisherfolk of Old Harbour Bay.

"It come in like each time the Easter come, somebody always drown at sea, as some years ago I was lucky to be saved as eight persons died and six a we hang on to a five-gallon oil drum that save we. Things like these bring back a bad feeling to me," remarked Sadie Banton, McDonald's stepdaughter.