Two local St. Thomas men, Kashief Hamilton and Randolph Donovan, ended up saving the life of a wheelchair-bound girl after she rolled into the water, on Aug. 12.
The wheelchair-bound girl rolled off the West Indian Company dock in St. Thomas while visiting the Virgin Islands with her family on a cruise ship.
Hamilton was scheduled to DJ on the dock right before the incident happened, and ended up jumping into the water to save the girl with Donovan.
The video of the girl being rescued was posted on Facebook, showing Donovan and Hamilton in the water helping the girl with a life preserver and a rope, keeping her afloat together with emergency staff who helped get her out of the water, reported the Virgin Islands Consortium.
Donovan wrote on Facebook about the incident, “I couldn’t think I just had to move Real quick I cannot stop thinking about the way she was looking,” he wrote, “I told myself I had to save her the water was deep And when I see the wheelchair going under the weight and the fight that she put on me I was in a tight situation I keep screaming saying I cannot hold on no more thanks to Dj Country he was right there in the water to help now she have another day to talk about this day.”
Cheering from the crowd can be heard in the video, where Donovan is recorded trying to get his breath back. The two men were praised by the community, as well as officials.
Two locals sprung into action when the girl in her wheelchair fell into the water https://t.co/s6V3UrfrrE
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) August 16, 2019
Senator Kurt Viale commented on his Facebook page, “Everyday heroes with unassuming personalities live among us! 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.” Wrote Vialet, “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!!!”
Hamilton also wrote about the event on his Facebook page, “Wake up this morning set and ready to go Dj on WICO Dock for the tourist coming in on the carnival ship not knowing I will be saving a tourist life. Thank God we all are safe and sound. The love that is coming is tremendous and I want to say thank you to each and everyone. Situation like this all you can do is act and hope for the best. Randolph Donovan I’m glad that we did what we did and we are ok.”
A Facebook user commented about how dangerous the whole situation actually was on the video where the men are in the water with the girl, “if you think that at ANY moment, a wind could shift that ship just enough to crush all 3 of those people in an instant…these are 2 brave, brave men helping that woman! Not all heroes wear capes! God bless them all!”
