The families of the four deceased Maritime Cadets have set the records straight as to the basis and status of their disagreements with the Liberia Maritime Authority(LMA) relative to responsibility for the death of J. Eddie Wilson, George Reed, Henry D. Bryant and Patrick M. Ansumana, Jr..
It can be recalled that on September 27, 2012, the four mentioned Maritime cadets died by drowning at the Musa Beach, ELWA, Paynesville City, Montserrado County, while undergoing training. Addressing a press conference in Monrovia on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, the families of the deceased cadets through their legal advisor, Cllr. T. Negbalee Warner, said they have not received one cent from the LMA or reach any settlement with the authority.
They made it clear that their interest in this matter is not for money, saying no amount of money will ever be enough to bring back their loved ones who were all in their prime and had great determinations and prospects to achieve much more.
They(families) pointed out that their overriding interest is to establish the true cause and responsibility of the death of the four (4) young men, thereby avoiding staining their names and memories by claims that they died in not following instruction and by doing what Maritime clearly told them not to do.
Maritime and the families disagree on the cause and responsibility of the deaths; payment of assistance versus compensation to the families and custody and embalming of bodies without due authorization.
Considering available information to the families, they say their position is that their loved ones died as a result of Maritime’s “carelessness, to state the minimum”. Maritime, on the other hand, maintain that the cadets and their Maritime-appointed trainer were all on their own because they were doing what they were told not to do, thus relieving Maritime of any responsibility. The two parties remain in disagreement on this point.
Meanwhile, the families of the deceased Maritime Cadets have thanked all those who have identified and continue to identify with them during these very difficult times, including those who contributed one way or the other in giving their loved ones decent burials on October 20, 2012. See page 9 for the full text of the press statement of the families delivered yesterday during the press conference.