Sept 4th, 2003

BEC Pair Honoured for Heroic Act

Two employees of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) received the corporation’s first ever “Corporate Hero Award” for their attempts to rescue a man who drowned while swimming in waters near the Clifton Pier power station.

BEC General Manager Bradley Roberts presented Kermit ‘Shaft’ Mackey of the Land and Buildings Section and Edison Knowles of the Mechanical Maintenance Section, with plaques recognizing their efforts. “Greater love hath no man than this – that he lay down his life for his friends,” Mr. Roberts quoted from the award. He added, “these two young men showed that they really are people who care; people who, despite the very dangerous conditions, risked their lives to try to save another. These young men really could have laid down their lives and we owe them a debt of gratitude. That is why today, despite the tragic circumstances, I am proud to participate in this ceremony.”

Mackey and Knowles dived into strong currents across the street from the power plant on August 14 after being told that a man had been seen thrashing around in the ocean in great difficulty. The pair was engaged in a game of dominoes during their lunch break when at about 12:20pm, just six minutes into their recess, they heard the “man overboard” cry.

“When we heard them say that there was a man overboard, we just got up and rushed to the scene,” Mackey said. “When we got to the dock the guy who they said was in the water was nowhere to be found.” According to the two men, there were about three dozen onlookers at the scene but no one had attempted to save the drowning man because of the rough currents. Mr Mackey immediately stripped off his uniform and entered the water. Mr Knowles then thought he caught a glimpse of a figure resembling an unconscious human and directed Mr Mackey to it, however it turned out to be a growth of sea grass and large rocks. Daunted, Mackey came up for air.

Knowles too then removed his uniform and inched his way through a large hole in the dock. A second sighting sent Mr Mackey back underwater where he found the lifeless body of twenty-year-old Maurice Mackey, a young man working with BEC’s contracted janitorial service company. The two men were not related.

“When we were sure that it was the young man, I grabbed him from behind and brought him to the surface,” Mackey said. “I tried to make it in toward the rocks as far as possible and after being in the water so long I was tired and crying out for help; I knew that I couldn’t handle the young man alone because it was so rough. I guess at that moment that Mr. Knowles started to realize how long I was in the water, so he jumped in to help me further.”

Soon after, someone on the dock lowered a rope to the pair. Knowles secured the body of Maurice Mackey while his partner swam out further into the sea to escape the strong currents. Maurice Mackey’s body was raised to the surface where the efforts made to revive him proved unsuccessful. “Sad to say,” Mr. Mackey added, “we got his body but were unable to save his life.”

According to management, the conditions under which Mackey and Knowles operated could have easily overwhelmed them. Nevertheless, with no thought for their own safety, each did everything he could in an attempt to avert Maurice Mackey’s tragic death. The pair never even knew the name of the man for whom they risked their lives. “We didn’t see anyone when we got to the site,” Mr Knowles said.

“We just knew that someone whom God created to live on the land was helpless under the water, so we decided to do what we thought was right. But it was a sad day; it’s still a sad thing for me,” added Mr Mackey.

Theresa Mackey-Ambrister, aunt of the deceased, was present at the plaque presentation and said her family appreciated the efforts made by BEC to console and assist them. She addressed the men whom she called heroes: “We are sorry about the position that you were placed in, but we are glad that you were there; at least were able to secure Maurice’s body and have it buried properly.”

General Manager Bradley Roberts said that in addition to the plaques, Messrs Mackey and Knowles would also be rewarded with a weekend getaway generously donated by the Wyndham Nassau Resort. They were also afforded grief and trauma counseling. “We simply want to show these young men how proud we are of them and how thankful we are to know that we have such men working for BEC. It goes to show that we should always try to do our best for our fellowmen especially when they are in danger.”