Double tragedy as family loses father and son

A grieving family has been hit by the double tragedy of losing two members in just a few weeks.

Yesterday Millard Bean died in a tragic industrial accident at Morgan’s Point in Sandys.

The 47-year-old Island Construction worker was hit by a ‘wooden structure’ after a roof collapsed at around 11:30am.

Mr Bean’s death came just weeks after his stepson, Torrie Baker, was killed in a bike crash on his way home from work.

Mr Baker, 25, of St George’s suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash on Mullet Bay Road at 2am on January 19.

The double tragedy means that Lorrie Bennett-Bean will have to bury her son and her husband in a matter of weeks.

The family’s pastor, Dean Smith, conducted the funeral for Mr Baker on January 26.

He described the family as ‘close and tight knit’  who were ‘loyal, hard-working and faithful’.

Pastor Smith, who spent most of yesterday with Mrs Bennett-Bean, added: “They are coping with this by faith.

“It is really tough but you have to draw on all the faith you have.

“Lorrie has a deep faith and she will get through this. She has wonderful support and we will be there for her.

“But at the moment the pain she is feeling is incredible.”

Pastor Smith played cricket with Mr Bean as a young man and is also his cousin.

He added: “Millard came back into my life around three years ago when he started coming to church with his wife.

“He was a quiet, hard working, unassuming man.

“He was very dedicated and focused and just wanted to provide and spend time with his family.”

Pastor Smith described Mr Baker as a gifted song writer as well as a well respected member of the community.

He added: “Torrie was well loved by so many. At his funeral there were so many tributes that talked about his exemplary personality and his hard work ethic.

“He was given a full fire service funeral which blew us all away.

“I watched Torrie grow as a child with my children in youth group. His funeral was a very emotional service, but it was very warm and deep too.

“We played the last song he recorded at the end of the service and it showed he had put his trust in God.”

Mr Bean’s death yesterday comes just days after the waters around site were closed to the public while demolition is conducted.

The site itself has been closed to the public for some time while remediation work continues.

The work to renovate and refurbish the old military base is part of a multi-million dollar project to build a luxury resort on the site.

The development is being overseen by Craig Christensen, Brian Duperreault and Nelson Hunt

A full investigation into the cause of Mr Bean’s death will now be undertaken by the Government’s Health and Safety officers as well as the Bermuda Police Service.