The Bahamas was celebrating 53 years of independence when the music suddenly stopped. Five core members of the popular Da Pond Band were among 10 people killed on Friday, July 10, after a small plane carrying the musicians to a performance crashed in North Andros.
According to Fox News, the Cessna 402 departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau shortly after 1 p.m. and was headed to San Andros Airport when it “encountered difficulties,” according to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority. The aircraft crashed into dense bushes before reaching the runway.
Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis initially announced that one person had been pulled alive from the wreckage, but officials later confirmed that the survivor, who had not been initially named, had died from their injuries.
Media reports, citing social media posts and flight-manifest information, identified seven of the victims as Quinton Myers, Mateo Winder, Rashad Storr, Giovanni McKenzie, Travis Johnson, Franklyn Cambridge, and Macaro Rolle. Johnson was one of Da Pond Band’s vocalists, while McKenzie played keyboards. Local DJ Melvin “DJ Fresh” Henfield was also among those killed.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union said their work had “touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Da Pond Band was a fixture at major cultural events, known for lively performances that connected Bahamian music, nightlife, and national celebrations. The group recently performed at a June “Cultural Expression” showcase and was part of the lineup at the 19th Annual Bahamian Music & Heritage Festival.
Singer Lamar Polhamus described the magnitude of the loss in a Facebook statement. “Da Pond Band has lost 5 of its members who were the core, the heart, and the life of the band,” he wrote. “This recovery will be long and rough. We can only ask for some space, time, support, and prayers.”
Davis, addressing a nation shaken during what should have been a celebration, said, “We gather beneath a cloud of great sorrow. It has become a day of mourning.”
The disaster was one of two aviation emergencies involving Flamingo Air that day. Hours earlier, another company aircraft returned to Nassau after its pilot reported a concern. Its passengers exited safely before the plane caught fire on the runway.
The Bahamian government subsequently suspended Flamingo Air’s air operator certificate as a precaution while both incidents are investigated.
