SEON Fernandes, a 23-year-old gold miner travelling out of Mahdia to spend his 24th birthday with his parents, siblings and seven-year-old son at Mabaruma in the North West District on May 20, narrowly escaped death when the route 72 minibus in which he was a passenger crashed into a bush truck parked somewhere along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway at about 20:00hrs last Thursday. Occupying a front seat in the bus, Fernandes bore the brunt of the injuries, and is now stricken with a fractured left arm, multiple fractures to his left leg, and abrasions about the body. Nevertheless, he is thankful that God has spared his life so he could live to tell the tale.      

Recounting the incident from his bed in the Georgetown Public Hospital, the devout Christian said he is now convinced the devil had a plan to take his life, but God intervened and quashed that plan; and for this he is giving thanks to the Almighty.

Road rage
He recalled his driver overtaking two minibuses in rapid succession and proceeding to overtake a third. But the road was dark and he did not see the bush truck parked a short distance ahead, so he crashed into its rear, the impact sending the bus toppling multiple times before coming to a halt. Sometime later, on regaining consciousness, Fernandes said, he found himself on a bed in the Georgetown Public Hospital. Still amazed at how the tragedy unfolded, Fernandes exclaimed, “It was a miracle I lived, because I was in the front of the bus which crashed into the truck.”             

He said he had on his person about $167,000 and three penny weight of gold, but somewhere along the line he lost it all, retrieving only his bag containing clothing, which someone turned over to staff at the hospital.

That accident rudely ended all his Mabaruma travel plans, but news of the accident was communicated to his parents, Doris Williams and Cecil Fernandes, and the following day they flew to the city to be with him. While it was not the ideal meeting he had wanted, he is nevertheless happy to be able to see his parents once more.

Seon’s leg is so badly damaged he would not be able to use it for some time yet. He says he has a lot to regret, but is looking forward to the time when he would be able to walk, as well as use his hands again.  “But the greatest thing, I feel, is to have life and have my family around me…. All other things can fall into place,” Seon said with evidently mixed emotions.