Man to take legal action

“They (officials at Petrotrin) must acknowledge that they were wrong because we are not at fault,” Jerome said. “They need to do the right thing. We do not know what will happen to Kaleb five years from now.

We do not know how this will affect his life although he might be looking normal now.” Last week Wednesday, the father and son, together with four other children, were crossing the only bridge that gives them access to the main road when Kaleb slipped and fell into the river. He is a pupil of a kindergarten located next to the Vance River Roman Catholic School.

Kaleb, of Fitz Lane, Vance River, was taken to Petrotrin’s Medical Centre at Point Fortin and then transferred to the Augustus Long Hospital at Pointea- Pierre where he was treated and subsequently discharged.

Since the incident, Kaleb has not returned to classes and Jerome accused the State-owned company of “paying more attention to the oil spill in the river”, than his son. “I know how dangerous this is for Kaleb. He is still at home. He has no school books and no uniform. We still have to pay his bus and school fees whether or not he is going to school.

This morning I saw some breakouts on his head and neck,” Jerome explained.

On Friday last, aggrieved residents of Vance River staged a protest to highlight their plight. Yesterday, Petrotrin, from 3 pm to 5 pm, had established a medical outpost on the compound of the Vance River RC School, “to treat with residents requiring medical attention arising from the recent oil-spill.”