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| The Montana Hotel that James and McAlpin were checked into was reduced to rubble in the quake. | |||||
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, February 24, 2010 – With lab tests expected to confirm what they already believe, family and colleagues of two Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) officials who perished in the Haiti earthquake are now grieving their loss.
The ECCAA announced yesterday that the bodies of Director General Rosemond James and Director of Flight Safety Gregory McAlpin, who were in Port-au-Prince to attend a Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) meeting when the devastating quake hit on January 12th, have been found. The discovery brought an end to the six-week search for either the men or their bodies.
The ECCAA said yesterday that the Civil Aviation Authority of Haiti (OFNAC), one of the entities representing the authority in the recovery efforts, said the bodies were retrieved on Monday from the rubble of the Montana Hotel which partially collapsed in the quake.
“Although the bodies were identified based on their jewelry and their driver’s licenses, secondary confirmation through a laboratory identification process will be conducted by the end of this week. When this is completed, the repatriation process will take place,” the ECCAA statement said.
The authority offered condolences to the family and friends of the Trinidadian McAlpin, and St Lucian-born James, who had made Antigua his home.
The Chairman, Board of Directors, management and staff of LIAT also expressed their sympathy to the family, friends, colleagues and workmates of the two.
“Both of these officials at all times exemplified the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and dedication to the ideals of aviation safety and security, and their passing represents a tremendous loss to the civil aviation community in the Eastern Caribbean,” a statement from the airline said.
James’ wife, DenVanter Roach-James, issued a statement late yesterday, in which she spoke for the first time since her husband went missing.
She said the last six weeks has been a tremendously difficult time for the family and the most difficult part of the ordeal was “the uncertainty of the outcome”.
Roach-James said the news that her husband’s body had been recovered allowed the family some measures of comfort, even though the grieving process has just begun.
“We wish to take this opportunity to thank the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority and the search team which they were instrumental in putting together as well as the Haitian Civil Aviation Authority for their support. They have gone above and beyond their
She also expressed sympathy to McAlpin’s relatives, saying the two families were united in their grief.
The ECCAA has already appointed an interim team to take the organisation forward. A recommendation has been forwarded to the Heads of Government and Ministers of Civil Aviation in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States for the endorsement of Donald McPhail to act as the Director General, it was announced earlier this month.