Death is never good news. It can be especially devastating when a life is lost pursuing a living, as did McFarlan Alexander who recently perished under a landslide at one of the Barre De L’Isle Road Rehabilitation projects.
Last week it was the Dennery family of Ezrial Donatus Edward, also known as ‘Israel’ and ‘Zeekak’ that received the worst news imaginable. Edward had been reported missing three days after he failed to come home. Last Thursday his body was recovered on the rocky seaside of the Dennery coast, within the vicinity of the Mandéle Lookout and the junction heading to the Bordelais Correction Facility.
A relative, Mrs. Leona McDonald, this week recalled the events leading up to the grisly discovery.
“The last time the family saw Israel was on Saturday [March 29, 2014]. He was somebody who kept to himself, but sometimes he hung out with his friends. When we realized we had not seen him for three days,” McDonald told me, “we began to ask his friends and people in the community if they had seen him. They said they had not.”
When Edward still had not shown up after three days, his friends and relatives feared the worst. They reported him missing.
Said McDonald: “He picks coconuts, which he sells in the community, and he also goes fishing. We went over to his home and found that the wheelbarrow he normally used when selling coconuts was in its normal place. We then looked around for his diving glass and fishing gear. They were missing and we figured that he must’ve gone fishing.”
McDonald recalled a member of the community had said he last saw Edward heading toward the seaside. Another confirmed he had traveled on the same bus as Edward and he had headed toward the seaside after disembarking. His family finally concluded that something must have happened to Edward while fishing. A search party later found Edward’s clothes, shoes and cellular phone on the rocks near the sea—but not where his body was later found.
Edward had once worked as a security guard at Belle Fashions. Mc Donald recalled that after the company terminated its local operations Edward did whatever jobs available came his way, in addition to his fishing and coconut vending. His last job was as a watchman at the Dennery Hospital Rehabilitation Project.
Edward’s family members described him as very quiet, a man who enjoyed his own company. He lived alone. His mother remembers him as always ready to assist others.
“Israel was a very helpful son,” she said. “I have seven children and he was my third. Whenever his grandmother or I called upon on him to do something for us, he would do it. In his own time, yes, but he always did what we asked of him. He did most things by himself. Even his fishing. We were always pleading with him not to fish on his own. Now, look what has happened.”
Edward leaves behind two sons, Natus and Emran. Family members say that although Edward had to hustle to survive, he always did his best to provide for his sons. A post-mortem has been scheduled. Edward was 47 years old.
So very sad.