…Constable Grimmond says in recalling plane crash

POLICE Commissioner, Leslie James on Friday commended the efforts of injured police rank Mark Grimmond who, along with the pilot of a Cessna aircraft which crashed on Monday night on the West Demerara, survived the accident.

The police stated in a release that Constable Mark Grimmond, whom it said is in high spirits and warded at the St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, is recovering well after suffering a fractured jaw and lacerations about the body. The pilot, Lincoln Gomez, also survived the accident.
Deputy Commissioners Paul Williams, Maxine Graham , Nigel Hoppie and Lyndon Alves, along with the Force’s Public Relations and Press Officer Superintendent, Jairam Ramlakhan, and Force’s Welfare Officer Deputy Superintendent, Jewel Hayles-Sullivan, visited the injured policeman and offered him words of comfort and advice.

The commissioner and team, as well as the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Colonel (Ret’d) Enoch Wayne Gaskin, assured Constable Grimmond of their full support and commended him for his bravery and heroic acts. “You have displayed much bravery and you will be commended after your full recovery; if wasn’t for you, we would not have known about the whereabouts of the crash; you are a hero, you are brave and God be with you,” the top cop said to Constable Grimmond.

James also urged the rank and his wife, who was there at the time, to continue praying and never hesitate to call and ask for any assistance. Constable Grimmond, who is stationed at the Eteringbang Police Station, while relating his story, said that while the plane was in the process of downing, he pulled his seatbelt as tight as it could have gotten and that was one of the reason he survived.

“While the plane was in the process of downing, I did not panic, I kept my composure and pull my seatbelt as tight as it could have gotten; as the plane fell into the bushes and after the impact, the deceased, which was in the plane at the time, came into direct contact with me and I pushed the body off as the plane came to a halt,” Constable Grimmond said.
“After that, I tore my shirt and wrapped it around my injured face and proceeded to kick open a window and while exiting, I suffered more injuries about my body. As I got out of the plane, I used my police belt to climb a very huge tree to see if I would get any signal; in the process, I used my earpiece and after finding signal as my phone battery was approaching low, I called my Sergeant and my wife and told them of the ordeal,” he said.
Constable Grimmond said that even though he was never trained to shoot distress flares, he would have looked at several videos, causing him to assist the pilot in doing such.
Commissioner James said that all ranks working at interior locations will be trained by experts to handle any similar situation, especially as it relates to the shooting of distress flares.