Thursday, August 09, 2007

Man Loses Leg After Falling Off Caribana Float

I had not heard about this until now.....what a shame. I am thankful that for me this Carnival was a safe one. All the best to this young man as he recovers............


Man Loses Leg After Falling Off Caribana Float
Thursday August 9, 2007

A Toronto man lost his leg after trying to join the Caribana Parade on Saturday. Twenty-five year-old Chris Baptiste was watching the procession when he and a friend decided to jump the security fence and climb aboard a truck to join a band.
Baptiste's father, Kelvin, says his son missed and fell and the truck rolled over him. His friend got the driver to stop but the wheel was on top of him and by the time the vehilce was put into reverse, the damage had been done.
Baptiste says his son's left leg had to be amputated on Tuesday and doctors expect the single factory worker to face up to a year of physical rehabilitation. His father is angry that no report has been released about the incident, adding "when people are intoxicated", security has to be implemented.
Caribana organizers call the tragedy "a regrettable situation," but insist they've always discouraged onlookers from participating in the parade for their own safety.


2 comments:

Karabana said...

That's absolutely horrible but not a shock, bc they never have enough security around those trucks. I believe someone got crushed years back. :(

Anonymous said...

This poor young man has since this incident lost his second leg and died in hospital yesterday. His family are distraught. I know some people who are tryng to raise money for his family and the funeral. There always seems to a be death or injury at the Carabana Festival. I would think twice about taking my family to it.