NationNews Barbados — nationnews.com

Four dead in plane crash off Bequia

sherrylynclarke@nationnews.com — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 23:19:46 +0000

Kingstown, St Vincent – At least four people, including the pilot of a small aircraft, died when the plane crashed soon after takeoff from the James Mitchell Airport in Bequia. They have been identified as the pilot, Robert Sachs and passengers Christian Kelpser, 51, a citizen of the United States and his daughters, Annik, 13 and Madeira, 11. Initial reports indicate that the small aircraft with registration number n4023b was on its way to St Lucia with the passengers who had arrived on Bequia on Boxing Day last year for a short vacation. The Caribbean Media Corporation’s (CMC) correspondent in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Kenton X. Chance, who travelled to the sister isle of Bequia soon after the crash, quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the bodies had been retrieved. “Based on what I was told …witnesses said the aircraft had departed the airport … and a few minutes after they heard what they described as a sputtering sound and the aircraft continued to travel for a few moments before another sputtering sound was heard and then they saw the aircraft plunged nose first into the waters,” he reported. He said divers at a nearby fisheries complex went to the area where the plane crashed “and after a few moments were able to locate the aircraft. “One of them said they saw four people inside of the aircraft, all strapped with their seat belts and they presumed they were dead,” Chance reported, saying “subsequently pronounced dead by a medical practitioner”. Chance said the wreckage of the aircraft is located about 60 to 70 feet and that the bodies have been handed over to the local Coast Guard. There has been no official statement as yet from the authorities. (CMC)

Hilary term starts next week

sherrylynclarke@nationnews.com — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 23:02:21 +0000

Public schools across the island are expected to re-open next week, following their recent break for Christmas. According to the School Calendar 2023-2024, provided by the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, teachers will return to the classroom on Monday, January 8, and students on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. The second term, which is usually marked by a series of athletic events, will comprise a mid-term break that runs from February 22 to 23. Also known as the Hilary Term, it will last for 13 weeks, ending on Thursday, April 4, and Friday, April 5, for students and teachers, respectively. (BGIS)

Elvis Presley to make virtual return

sherrylynclarke@nationnews.com — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 19:44:54 +0000

Singer Elvis Presley is set to be brought back to life virtually as part of a new immersive concert experience. Elvis Evolution will use AI and feature holographic projections of the star, created from thousands of his personal photos and home-video footage. The show is set to open in London in November before moving to Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo. It follows the success of Abba Voyage, a virtual concert with avatars of the Swedish pop band. British immersive entertainment specialists Layered Reality have secured the global rights for Elvis Evolution. The company has previously produced immersive experiences including The Gunpowder Plot and The War of The Worlds. The company said the Presley show will feature a “jaw-dropping concert experience” where a life-sized digital Elvis “will perform iconic moments in musical history on a UK stage for the first time”. Layered Reality's founder and CEO Andrew McGuinness said the show would be “a next-generation tribute to the musical legend” and allow people to “step into the world of Elvis and walk in his shoes”. The show will feature a life-sized digital Presley and make use of AI, holographic projection, augmented reality, live theatre and multi-sensory effects, Layered Reality said. McGuinness added that the experience would offer the public a “deeper insight into Elvis's life, transporting fans back through the decades to experience his meteoric rise to fame, larger-than-life persona, and the cultural movement he catalysed in the 1950s and 1960s”. The central London location for the show, which is yet to be confirmed, will also host an Elvis-themed bar and restaurant with live music. Presley, who would have celebrated his 89th birthday on 8 January, rose to fame in the 1950s and is known for hits including Hound Dog and Suspicious Minds. He died in 1977 aged 42. (BBC)

Plane crash off Bequia

sherrylynclarke@nationnews.com — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 19:01:20 +0000