ST. THOMAS — The life of a young girl, who was visiting the territory on the Carnival Fascination cruise ship with her family, was saved Monday morning by two St. Thomas men who jumped into the seawater at the West Indian Company dock to rescue her from drowning.
Randolph Donovan, Jr. jumped in after the girl’s wheelchair went off the dock. In videos around the internet circulating on Monday, Mr. Donovan could be seen holding the girl, who was placed in a floating tube, while Kuntry Hamilton (DJ Kuntry), who also jumped into the water to help, fastened a rope around Mr. Donovan and the girl so that they could be lifted out of the water.
A number of other individuals helped from above as what could have been a deadly incident turned into one of overwhelming joy. Onlookers cheered as the rescue occurred.
Community members praised the men for their quick, instinctive work of saving the young girl’s life.
“Everyday heroes with unassuming personalities live among us!” wrote Senator Kurt Vialet on his Facebook page on Monday night. “Earlier today I announced on the Senate floor the heroic mission of two individuals from St. Thomas who saved a young girl’s life who fell in the ocean by the WICO dock. Hats off and kudos to Mr. Kashief General Kuntry Hamilton and Mr. Junior Donovan! Job well done and thank you for your willingness to assist with this duty today! I know that young lady’s family is forever grateful and we as a people are proud of you! Again, thank you heroes!!!”
Mr. Hamilton, a deejay, was scheduled to play music on the dock as part of the entertainment for tourists. He thanked the community for the outpouring of love that has since followed. “Situations like this all you can do is act and hope for the best,” Mr. Hamilton wrote on Facebook.
In another video, the girl’s parents/guardians are seen hugging Mr. Donovan in a show of gratitude, crying in the process as the emotional incident took its toll.
“I couldn’t think, I just had to move real quick,” Mr. Donovan, who was also part of the WICO entertainment, wrote on his Facebook page. “I cannot stop thinking about the way she was looking; I told myself I had to save her. The water was deep and when I [saw] the wheelchair going under, the weight and the fight that she put on me, I was in a tight situation. I [kept] screaming saying I cannot hold on no more. Thanks to DJ Kuntry he was right there in the water to help. Now she [has] another day to talk about this day.”
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