Crew loss

A crew member died on the pier today.

 

I was leaving the ship and a passenger coming back on said “someone passed out on the pier. I think it is a crew member.” The gurkha just kind of nodded vaguely. Then as I was walking out, I saw a 60-ish lady with her husband, both of them back from a day of touring, and the lady was crying and not touching her face. I figured she was upset about something absurd and like the way she was pampered. Then I saw the “passed out” guy getting very serious CPR, with two officers standing over him and a small crowd of passengers standing around the guy. He was a tall, thin St. Lucian guy with the white tank top they all love to wear, good shorts and nice leather shoes. They crossed his legs at the ankles and someone said “he’s not breathing” and someone else said the ambulance was on the way. I went on a tour of Antigua this morning and the hospital and ambulance are a mess and in a hassle part of the island with terrible roads, which are quaint on a tour bus, but not if you’re that guy. I didn’t know how to help, so I just kept walking, as did a lot of people who didn’t want to stare at the poor guy. They started to wheel his feet in a circle. A snotty fat old lady pushing her sport walker said “you mean I can’t get to MY SHIP” and then immediately apologized and kept walking. All of the street vendors were worried, looking on, and all of the passengers milling around were worried. You want nothing bad to happen to you in an island. So. We got back on the ship and just got news that he officially passed away.  I hope he’s from St. Lucia, because we’ll be there in 2 days, for the sake of his family. And for his sake, I hope it was zippy and fast and painless and that he was with his buddies and a ladyfriend and had only good news for the past 2 months.

 

So that is completely terrible and upsetting and that poor guy and all of his folks. I am going to do something sensible and get a huge beer and read PG Wodehouse and laugh on the deck.