5-y-o dies in fire

The St James Fire Brigade Investigation Unit and detectives from the Coral Gardens Police Station are trying to determine the cause of a fire which claimed the life of five-year-old Jaydon Peterkin and completely destroyed a one-apartment board dwelling house at New Roads in Flankers.

Reports by the police are that on Monday morning, the boy's mother left him in with his grandmother, Pauline Anderson. Anderson, 65, said she has not been well lately, so she sent Jaydon's mother to pick up some medicine for her.

While at the house, Jaydon reportedly walked from Anderson's house and went back to his house which caught fire. Anderson tearfully related how she witnessed her grandchild being burnt alive.

"Mi hear him a bawl out, an a call fi help, an wen mi run outside the wul house deh pon fire," the trembling grandmother told THE STAR. "When mi hear Jaydon a shout out fi help and mi rush out, mi see di house pon fire, an all mi a try fi go inna di house fi get him out, di fire was too hot, so mi haffe call fi help. A neighbour come an a throw water inna one bucket pon di fire, but all wi a try, wi still could not get him out, an him just burn to death."

Superintendent in charge of the St James Fire Department, Rudolph Seaton, told THE STAR that they received the call about noon, and one unit from the Ironshore Fire Station responded.

Expressed shock

He said firemen saw a one apartment ply board and zinc roofing structure fully engulfed, and while carrying out cooling-down operations, they were told that a child was probably inside.

A further search of the rubble led to the discovery of Jaydon's charred remains.

Councillor for the Flankers Division, Senator Charles Sinclair, expressed shock when he learnt of the incident.

"I have been up there, spoken to the parent and the grandmother, who are all traumatised. The community on a whole is traumatised because all I have got in respect to this youngster is that he is a well-mannered person, someone who is very bright," Sinclair said, pledging assistance to the family in every way.