After seven days of fighting for his life Princes Town marine welder Vedesh Mohess lost his battle on Tuesday as he succumbed to injuries he sustained during an explosion aboard a boat last Thursday. Mohess’ two co-workers—John Lambert, 48, and Trevor Henry—who were also injured in the blast remain in critical condition at hospital. The three were burnt while working on a boat docked at Trinidad Contractors Ltd port, off Old Southern Main Road, Claxton Bay.
Yesterday police reports stated that Mohess, a 42-year-old father of three, died around 4.30 pm at Southern Medical Hospital, Quenca Street, San Fernando, where he was being treated since the blast. Henry is said to be warded at the same hospital while Lambert is at the Augustus Long Hospital, Pointe-a-Pierre. An autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, by pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov yesterday revealed that Mohess had suffered severe burns to almost 90 per cent of his body and died of thermal sepsis.
His wife of 16 years, Nisha Mohess, spoke to reporters after the autopsy and described her husband as a loving, hard-working, family man. She said their three sons—ages 14, 11 and six —were close to their father and were still trying to come to terms with the news of his passing. “It didn’t have a thing they want that he did not want to give them,” Nisha said. Despite he husband’s death, Nisha still thanked doctors at the hospital for their dedication and professionalism.
She also said her husband’s employer had been in communication and was helping the family. However, she called on investigators to conduct a proper and thorough investigation into the incident. Yesterday Mohess’ relatives, who were busy preparing for a wake at his home at St Croix Road, Princes Town, admitted his death came as a shock since they were praying he would survive.
Mohess’ elder brother, Vishnu, of New York, said: “We had all hopes and prayers that even though it (the injures) was bad that he would have come back to his loved ones.” However, he said, the family hopes were dashed on Tuesday when they received word that Mohess, the youngest of 11 siblings, did not survive. Vishnu said the relatives were still in the dark as to what happened last Thursday on the boat that would have led to the explosion that claimed Mohess’ life.
“We do not know what happened. He was working on the boat but we are not sure what happened. Everything is under investigation. We waiting to get answers from the OSH (Occupational Health and Safety Authority) investigation,” he said. Mohess’ brother, Ramnarine, said several days before the explosion he was having bad dreams and he had an ominous feeling that something bad was going to happen. Vishnu said while Mohess was the youngest of the family, everyone looked up to him.
“He was a masterpiece. He had the family growing together. He kept the family unified. He loved his family, They were his focus. He also loved his job. He worked with Trinidad Contractors for 19 years,” he said. Mohess’ funeral has been tentatively set for later today.
— with reporting by Derek Achong