71-y-o man drowns on birthday

Julette Byan, Gleaner Writer

LYSSONS, St Thomas:

IT WAS his birthday, and when 71-year-old taxi operator Daniel Edman decided to go for one of his usual Sunday evening swims with his grandson, he had no idea it would have been his last.

Edman drowned after he and his 13-year-old grandson, Rushane Thomas, an eighth-grade student at Paul Bogle High School in St Thomas and a friend developed difficulty at Big Diamond beach, St Thomas, which is a stone's throw away from where he lived in Lyssons.

Some time after 4 p.m., the three spent their time enjoying the water. Rushane could not swim.

"When we were ready to go back out, it was hard; we couldn't move. I started sinking, I couldn't feel the bottom (sea floor). We started to call out for help, but no one heard us. The sea was rough. Then my grandfather said 'Rushane, trust God and see if you can leave me'," a distraught Rushane told The Gleaner yesterday.

Rushane said he could not recall how he made it out of the water, but he remembered seeing his grandfather going under and did not resurface. The other little boy who could swim also made it back to shore. Edman's body was later taken from the water, after more than an hour.

Marva Edman, Daniel's widow, told The Gleaner that she was informed that there were other people on the beach and had heard them crying out for help, but thought they were joking.

The Edmans were married for 32 years. While Edman was at her place of employment working overtime as a caregiver, she felt within her spirit that they should not go to the beach on Sunday.

"I was going to call and tell them not to bother go today," she said. "I just said to myself, I hope they don't go to sea today."

She told The Gleaner that just last Friday his daughter in Canada dreamt that he had died and tried to call him, but his phone was stolen recently, so she was unable to contact him.

Edman described her husband as a jovial person, who was friendly and quick to assist. Residents of Lyssons and neighbouring communities all knew the pleasant taxi operator who plied the Lyssons route.

"Most of his passengers had his number and they would call and he would go wherever they are to get them and take them to their destination" Mrs. Edman said.

Rushane is heartbroken. He did not go to school yesterday. His grandmother said she wants to get counselling for him as he was close to his grandfather.

"I just want to erase it from my mind. I was given some pressure medication when they took me to the hospital, but they don't seem to be working," said Mrs. Edman.

She added: "I did not sleep all of last night. It is hard, but I know that God will see me through, he said he will not give me more than I can bear and I am glad I did not lose the two of them."