Community mourns as beloved chef among septic tank casualties
On Monday, Lurline Lindo intended to carry fruit juice for her former spouse Kirk Kerr, but he did not get it as he died in a septic tank accident at the Moneague Teachers’ College in St Ann.
Joslyn Henry, 56, of Rivoli in Spanish Town, St Catherine, and Beresford Gordon, 46, of a Church Pen Road address also in Spanish Town, also died. The men inhaled noxious fumes coming from a septic tank they were cleaning. The drink was 46-year-old Kerr’s last request from Lindo when he saw her on Sunday.
“When mi carry the juice come deh so mi hear the tragedy. Him leave the message tell mi say him soon come. Me blend up June plum, carrot, pine and guava and mi draw some sorrel,” Lindo told THE STAR. Lindo said she knew Kerr for more than 22 years and said they respected each other although they were no longer together. His death brought her back to when they lost their daughter two years ago.
“Him a mek two mi lose now, the father and the daughter. A 22 years mi know him. Him is a chef and sometimes him work up a di bar up there and otherwise me know him would work on the little truck. Is not the first from me and him deh him use to go and work with them,” Lindo said.
Their daughter, Serena ‘Tia’ Kerr, 19, and 21-year-old Vaughn Smith were shot and killed in Homestead, Spanish Town, two years ago by unknown assailants.
“It nuh easy for me, is the grace a God. But is a process I am going tru because I join the Mothers Against Gun Violence programme and it carry me through it. It kind of lick mi body but I kinda block it out my mind,” Lindo said. Meanwhile, the residents of Shelter Rock in St Catherine said ‘Bigga’, as Kerr was affectionately called, was a good man who was willing to work to earn his honest read.
“Bigga death move we Monday. Fi know say mi come a di gate and pose and a Bigga me a look pon. Me lean pon mi gate and him deh deh so a chop out. Mi nuh sleep last night, mi mind jus a picture Bigga,” said Carol, Kerr’s neighbour. Another man who gave his name as Barrington said he and Kerr had cleaned a section of the community on Monday and so he was surprised to learn of his death.
Barrington said “A call we get say him dead. Him is a chef, but most times when him nah noting fi do him just find something fi do. When him have a roast, dem just call him and him come in and do work. Him move good with everybody.”
Rayon Reid, the lone survivor from the septic tank incident, said he was glad to be alive but grieved the deaths of the others. Reid said Kerr was attempting to climb out of the hole but he lost consciousness and fell.
Reid said “When we go deh di man slide down pon di hose and we take the ladder and put it in deh and him a come up. Me turn weh to turn on the pipe to wash him off only fi hear say him (Kirk) drop back down there,” he said.