Retired sergeant and three grandchildren drown in pond

Thursday night turned out tragic for a retired police sergeant who took four of her grandchildren for a customary swim in a man-made pond just behind the Western Pines community which recently was renamed Western Paradise. The family outing, however, turned tragic and by the end of the evening she along with three of the children had drowned. One, a four year old, witnessed the harrowing incident and at first was too shocked to speak. News Five Jose Sanchez, headed to the scene on Thursday night where he found a community in shock but still offering help in the recovery of the bodies.

Jose Sanchez

“It looks cool and refreshing but this pool of water located behind the mile eight community of Western Pines is both deceptive and deadly. As yesterday afternoon it resulted in the death of four individuals. Three children and one adult drowned inside these waters.”

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Ranalda Morgan

Fifty-five year old Ranalda Morgan, a retired sergeant from the Police Department, along with her three grandchildren, seven year old Micah, ten year old Miesha and nine year old Maurice Morgan lost their life Thursday evening.  According to a neighbor, the retired sergeant regularly took her four grandchildren to the pond, more than a mile behind the community.

Ardette Castillo, mourning the death of Morgan Family

“The last time I see Miss Morgan yesterday afternoon after one. From then I neva si ah until wen ih grandson bring me and show me di body inna di water.”

Jose Sanchez

“How many bodies were visible at that time?”

Ardette Castillo

“When I come only Miss Morgan you could see but he tell we ih bredda and sista deh right side ah dehn granny inna di wata.”

One four year old child Michael Morgan did not enter the pond, alone and confused after witnessing the drowning of his grandmother and siblings, he somehow managed to trek over a mile away to the family home.

Ardette Castillo

Ardette Castillo

“I noticed di lee bwai by ihself di sleep in front ah Ms. Morgan home so I gone and I tell my daughter dah lee bwai di sleep in front ah Ms. Morgan door and di door close, I gwein go si weh happen to di lee bwai. I gone cross and si di lee bwai di sleep so I wake ah up. I seh baby weh u name? Ih no answer me. I tek ah and I ker ah cross dah my house. I tell mi daughter hold di lee bwai and I gwein go halla fi Ms. Morgan because di door close and I find wah lee bwai outside ah ih house. But before dat I text ah, I found a child lying at your door where are you? When I noh get no response I seh I gwein go halla fi ah through di window. I halla through all di windows but I get no response from Ms. Morgan so I halla fi my other neighbor Ms. Gloria Loriano. I tell ah please come si if yoh know dis lee bwai fi mi. I seh ih look like Ms. Morgan grandson but I noh sure. Ih seh Cas I noh know dis lee bwai. I seh well we wah call police and tell dehn dat di lee bwai loss. Den ih tell Ms. Gloria he name Michael Morgan. So I ask ah weh yoh granny deh. Ih noh seh nothing so we gone back gone check dah Ms. Morgan house cause we si ih di get dark and di door still close. Den my daughter halla ma come yah, please come hear weh dis lee bwai di seh. So I seh dah weh di lee bwai seh? Ih tell me ih granny drop inna di wata and ih drowned. So I tell ah baby ker me weh pah yoh granny deh. So ih hold mi hand and I stop and halla fi my next neighbour Mr. Hislop and I tell ah dis lee bwai seh ih granny drop inna wata and ih drowned so les go wid we. He come along wid we back yah and when we get near to di pond ih seh si my granny ova deh. Mr. Hislop gone fi si and ih seh Ms. Ah si wah body fi true. So I seh mek I go si if dah Ms. Morgan and when I gone dah di wata dah Ms. Morgan. So I tek di child and I come back wid ah and my daughter and Ms. Lauriano stay right deh and Mr. Hislop call di police and I try get Mr. Morgan fi tell ah but I neva get through to none ah dehn.”

While darkness fell upon the pond, two of the floating bodies were retrieved by a neighbor before the police arrived.

Morgan's Grandchildren

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

“Police visited the Western Pines community. That’s at the eight miles Western Highway some time after six yesterday evening where they first observed two female bodies in a pond not too far from the residence of retired W Sergeant, Ranalda Morgan. The bodies were retrieved from the pond where so far we have received identity of—actually it’s not only two but four—Ms. Morgan and her three grandchildren. We found out that one of them was Miesha, Micah and the other Maurice; two males and two females.”

At about nine p.m. the recovery of the remaining body which did not surface was carried out by the National Coast Guard which used a canoe in addition to divers.

Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis, National Coast Guard

“We received a call from the commandant informing us that a drowning incident had occurred at Western Pines eight miles on the Northern Highway. Immediately we mobilized the quick reaction crew who made its way to this location to conduct an assessment and thereafter began to do the dive.”

Jose Sanchez

“What time did you get here?”

Lt. Gregory Soberanis

Lt. Gregory Soberanis

“We got here like I would say about forty-minutes ago. We spoke to the personnel here already; the police. We also spoke with one Mr. Hislop who had conducted several dives before to give us an idea of where the body was, where the body went down so we can target an area of where we wanted to do this dive.”

Jose Sanchez

“How many bodies did you have to recover?”

Roberto Orellano, Seaman, National Coast Guard

“We had to recover four bodies but three already floated and one we discovered while we were diving down to the bottom of the lake.”

Jose Sanchez

“The lake is an area where people come out swim, but today deep since you had to use the equipment. How deep was the lake more or less?”

Lt. Gregory Soberanis

“It wasn’t that deep, Jose. It was probably about ten to twelve feet deep in some areas. Due to the fact that it’s basically sand pits that are filled with water, you have various levels at different points in the lake. Sometimes you’re walking an area that is shallow and then there’s a sudden drop to like nine, ten feet and then it goes back to like three feet again. So it’s very deceptive from surface level.”

Jose Sanchez

“In terms of visibility, it is at night, how were you able to locate that body?”

Roberto Orellano

Roberto Orellano

“Well, we had to use our techniques by using our hands and feeling our way at the bottom of the lake; just feeling, feeling until we ran into the body.”

Jose Sanchez

“How long have you known Miss Morgan what do you know of her?”

Ardette Castillo

“I know Ms. Morgan from di day I move yah. We move di same day back yah inna November or December inna 2006 and from den me and she maintain wah good relationship.”

Jose Sanchez

“I understand she just recently retired also from the police.”

Ardette Castillo

“Yes, ih mi retire and ih mi want open wah shop but due to inna November ih had to use di money fi bury ih son so ih couldn’t di shop again.”

Lt. Gregory Soberanis

“Sadly to say it was a little boy. It’s always tragic when a child dies or when anybody dies as a matter of fact, but when you see a child and you have to hold that child it’s really sad. But we’re happy the family can achieve closure.”

Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood

“They all drowned, the bodies were checked; no signs of foul play suspected. They were transported to the K.H.M.H. where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies now await a post mortem examination.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.