National

Cat Island Residents Come Together to Prepare Burial Site for Crash Victims

CAT ISLAND, BAHAMAS – On Cat Island, grief was met with an outpouring of support for the families of two teen girls whose lived were cut short. As the community prepares to bury two of the five young people killed in last weekend’s Shirley Street crash, dozens of residents came together to help prepare their final resting place.

Published

3 months ago

July 7, 2026

Delvardo Emmanuel

CAT ISLAND, BAHAMAS – On Cat Island, grief was met with an outpouring of support for the families of two teen girls whose lived were cut short.

As the community prepares to bury two of the five young people killed in last weekend’s Shirley Street crash, dozens of residents came together to help prepare their final resting place.

At the gravesite in Smith’s Bay, dozens of residents could be seen working side by side, taking turns with shovels, mixing cement, and clearing the ground where the two teenagers will be laid to rest.

The two students of Old Bight High School will share a double mausoleum.

The heart wrenching video was provided by Cat Island resident Yontalay Bowe-Kirkendall.

We spoke to Bowe-Kirkendall over the phone, who says that while the loss has been devastating for the entire island, and that the outpouring of love and support has been just as powerful.

Yontalay Bowe-Kirkendall – Resident, Cat Island

“ You could feel it through the community…when you stop into the stores or the food stores or anything, you know, everybody’s still talking about it, and like, when they saw the preparation of the grave site being prepared….it just affected us even more, you know?…You know, by seeing it became so real.”

The Cat Island resident says support has taken many forms, adding residents have been stopping by the gravesite with food, drinks and supplies to keep the volunteers fed and hydrated.

She says even as the island prepares for the funerals, residents are also keeping the survivors of the crash and their families in their prayers.

Yontalay Bowe-Kirkendall – Resident, Cat Island

“ Everybody’s just coming along, and then they’re still supporting the persons who need to have surgery and in the hospital, and just being together and keeping everybody in prayer. So that’s what we’re doing on the ground in Cat Island.”

The memorial service for three of the victims of the Shirley Street crash will be held Thursday at the William Thompson Community Center.