Man killed by wire flung by weed wacker

A 28-year-old St Elizabeth man lost his life in a freak accident on Tuesday.

The incident occurred when a weed wacker, utilised for lawn maintenance, inadvertently flung a piece of binding wire through the air, tragically striking Derval Baker's skull just above his right ear.

The shocking event took place at a premises in the south-western section of the parish, leaving family members devastated by the unforeseen and sorrowful turn of events.

"The whole community [of Ashton] is mourning," his aunt, Violet, told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"Derval don't give trouble, he just tries to make fun and him helpful and kind. He is the type a person yuh don't have to ask him to do the thing," she said.

Violet said Derval's mother has been inconsolable since the incident, and other family members are badly shaken up.

"I have a son, him and Derval grow like brother and from Tuesday I'm concerned because my son don't even eat. I'm concerned about everybody, every family member. Last night [Wednesday] I go to my bed and I don't even know, I don't get a sleep because every time I guh to bed, I just picture him," she said unable to hold back her tears.

As they struggle to cope, the family has heaped blame on medics at the Black River Hospital, who they believe did not do enough to help Derval. Violet told THE WEEKEND STAR that Derval was admitted to the hospital about 11:30 a.m., shortly after which doctors decided that he should be transferred to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). However, she said it was not until after 7 p.m. that he was placed in an ambulance and sent to Kingston. He died on the way.

Violet, who was at Derval's bedside in the hospital, said she was told that the delay in transporting him to the KPH was due to the absence of specialist medical personnel to prepare him for departure.

"Our whole family blames Black River Hospital," said Phonia Barrett, a cousin. "They had him the whole day even though they know they couldn't help him. We blame them," she said.

Barrett has called for an investigation to be done to determine whether the hospital followed protocol in Derval's case.

"Somebody needs to be held accountable, something needs to get done. This is about what happens when another family, not even our family, what happens when somebody else family go through the same thing," she said.

The week's incident has reopened old wounds of a double tragedy that rocked the family seven years ago. During that incident on April 29, 2017, Ophelia Baker's estranged boyfriend attempted to approach the family house, but her father Allan Baker blocked his path. The man then doused him with a corrosive substance and set him on fire. Ophelia tried to assist and was also doused and set on fire. Father and daughter later succumbed to their injuries.