Police are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was found on Monday afternoon inside a newly erected kiosk along Trevor’s Way, opposite Pelican Village.
But someone who saw the man acting suspiciously shortly before his death said he urged his workmates to leave the area.
Police Communications Officer Inspector Ryan Brathwaite said officers officially received the report from a female caller at 3:28 p.m.
Station Sargeant Ronald Gittens, Bridgetown Port and Police Communications Officer Ryan Brathwaite. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
“Police responded from Central Police Station and the Bridgetown Port and, on arrival, observed the lifeless body of a male crouched inside the kiosk, with a wire wrapped around his neck,” Insp Brathwaite said.
A medical doctor later pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was seen earlier that morning in the area near the rocks behind the structure, where he appeared to be avoiding detection by workers.
A National Conservation Commission (NCC) worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he first noticed the man sometime between 8:30 and 9 a.m.
He said: “I did see the man about that time. First, we saw him down behind the rocks, dodging and ducking. Then he moved behind the grape trees. When he saw us, he stooped low and tried to hide his face, but we already picked him up and saw him walking on the rocks.”
The worker said he immediately became suspicious about the man’s behaviour. But he urged his colleagues to walk away, explaining that he did not want to get involved. He said the man was seen again later that afternoon.
“Only this afternoon, about a quarter to two, I saw him again by that same hut, sitting down behind there,” he said.
Shortly after seeing the man for the second time, the worker said he left work. He later received word that a body had been discovered inside the kiosk.
Other workers in the area said the man was not known to them and was not someone who regularly frequented the location.
“From the time I saw him on the rocks, I told myself something wasn’t right — something fishy,” the worker added.
Workers also noted that the area is sometimes used by people dealing with personal problems.
He said: “When anybody got a little problem, they does come out here, sit down, talk to themselves, cry. And the way this man looked, I said to myself something not right. I didn’t want to experience that, so I just left.”
He said he did not see the body but recalled that the man was wearing either a blue or black shirt, along with blue or black trousers.
A craft vendor across the road at Pelican Village told Barbados TODAY he was alerted by a visiting family who had been strolling near the kiosk.
Lawmen on the scene of Monday’s unnatural death. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
“The police took a while to come. I called twice….” she said, adding that the incident left her deeply shaken.
“I’m feeling unnerved about it. To think it happened so close, inside a structure like that, it’s really sad. It’s a horrible thing to happen,” she said.
Another worker in the area said she flagged down a police vehicle travelling along the highway.
“The same tourist was pulling back the blinds, and I told him: ‘No, don’t touch anything. Don’t touch no evidence,’” the worker said.
Workers also confirmed that the man was not employed in the area and was not the owner of the kiosk, which was erected just last week for We Gatherin’ and New Year’s activities.
As investigations continue, police are seeking the public’s assistance in determining the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. (LG)
If you or someone you know is in distress or thinking about suicide, help is available.
Call Lifeline Barbados, the mental health crisis hotline, at 536‑4500 or the Samaritans at 429-9999 for free, confidential support, available 24 hours a day.
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