By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin yesterday pledged urgent action to enforce safety protocols in pre-schools after the death of a six-year-old boy in Grand Bahama, saying she could not imagine the grief of his mother.

“I want to give condolences to that family, to that mother. Words just cannot express. I’m a mother, I just can’t imagine what she’s going through,” Mrs Hanna-Martin told reporters.

Her comments came after Vernal “Zion” Williams was killed on Friday when a swing set collapsed on him at Caring Hands Academy. Police said the accident happened shortly after 11am.

Zion was taken to Rand Memorial Hospital in his mother’s car after an ambulance was delayed. Doctors tried to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful.

His mother, Cardia Williams, told The Tribune she discovered the tragedy when she arrived with her son’s lunch. She said the swing set should have been inspected and secured regularly, adding that the incident might have been avoided with proper safety checks.

Mrs Hanna-Martin said officials will meet this week to ensure tighter scrutiny of private and public preschools.

“We’re going to meet this week to ensure that a much closer look is given, having regard to this terrible incident,” she said. “To ensuring that the protocols and the policies are being effectuated in these various private preschools and even in our own preschools.”

The Ministry of Education has launched a preliminary investigation through its Pre-school Unit and the Pre-school and Daycare Council. Police inquiries are ongoing.

Zion, a fraternal twin, had been enrolled at the school for about six months.