We'll return to more COVID news later on, but amidst all the fear and anxiety being experienced by the general public, one family is dealing with profound loss and tragedy.
It started two years ago when a PG couple died in a tragic murder-suicide. Their children, at the time infants, were in the house when that horror unfolded. They had since been sent to live with relatives. But today the trail of tragedy continued when the deceased couples four-year-old son, Steven drowned in his guardian's backyard.
It happened sometime before 11:00 in the Windmill area of Hattieville village. And shortly after Cherisse Halsall was on the scene.
Four year old Steven Anthony Ferguson Jr. lost his life today when he fell into a pond in his backyard. It was his sister 6-year-old Jayla Ferguson who found his body and alerted the teenage relatives who were looking after them.
They managed to retrieve the boy and perform CPR but by that time he was already unresponsive.
His paternal grandfather is grief-stricken and regretful that he hadn't allowed him to "live with grandad" as he'd wanted.
Voice of: Grandfather
"He said he wanted to come and live with Grandad but I'm the only one that lives here. It's hard it's hard, it's hard. It's the third one, my wife, my son his dad died, my wife and then him now it's hard, it's hard because he wasn't sick or anything mein happy. I really miss him, I miss him."
And while the 4 year old will certainly be missed, his maternal grandfather says he'd already been worried for the boy's well being.
A child with a tormented past - his mom and his dad both died in a murder suicide less than two years ago. His namesake, police constable Steve Anthony Ferguson Sr. killed his wife, Josephine Hamilton and then himself in their Punta Gorda home - in the house with their kids.
Percival, Grandfather
"In the last week we had him. I think it was Friday or Saturday or someday but we had him last week, only for one day we had the two of them."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And you say you had a sense that something would go wrong?"
Percival, Grandfather
"He said Grandpa my mom is dead my dad killed him and when it was done he killed himself. Well like I said because I asked the little bwoy, I said bwoy how you know all this, he said to me I know everything."
And whether by memory or having heard it from an adult those tragic events haunted the child:
Percival, Grandfather
"The little boy he's sharp he's a sharp little boy, he's smart, and he was useful he could do almost anything because he told you that he said I could do anything."
And indeed Steven Jr's potential like that of all children his age was limitless but unfortunately cut short by a terrible accident under a lack of adequate supervision.
Steven Jr. Had been placed under the guardianship of his paternal grandmother who passed on, and thereafter in the custody of his uncle, Hattieville Postman Samuel Ferguson.
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