Five members of Da Pond Band, famous for playing Caribbean music died after the Flamingo Air plane crashed on a flight from Nassau to San Andros in the Bahamas
The singer of a popular Caribbean band has shared her shock and disbelief after five members of the group died in a plane crash.
Da Pond Band singer Shaniese Miller spoke to reporters following the tragic incident on Friday which saw a small plane operated by Flamingo Air crash in the Bahamas, killing all 10 people on board.
The band, who were known for performing Caribbean music, had been on their way to perform at an Independence Day celebration on Andros Island alongside a DJ when disaster struck.
The plane left Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau on Friday on a route that usually takes less than 20 minutes. It was headed for San Andros when it crashed in North Andros, the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority said.
Speaking to CBS, Miller said: “I’m still shocked that they’re gone. I can’t believe it. They’re my family and I never expected that to happen.”
The singer was last with her band the previous week at a performance in Nassau.
“We were having so much fun, and after the second set, we were, they were just saying how they were so excited to go to Andros,” she said.
The band members who died have been named as Giovanni McKenzie, Mateo Winder, Rashad Storr, Tonique Gilot and Travis Johnson. Melvin Henfield, also known as DJ Fresh, was also on the flight.
On Friday another vocalist for the band – Shenia Roberts – had arrived at the island earlier in the day on the same plane and flown by the same pilot.
“You could tell it was an old plane. But we didn’t have any issues,” she said.
Speaking about her bandmates, she also told CBS News: “They were the people that I talked to in the morning, in the night. They were my friends, my confidants. And I was waiting on them.”
The singer also told local outlet Our News: “It’s been crazy. They were my people. They were the people that I saw every day of every week. I communicated with them every day. My whole life was my band and my music.”
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis paid tribute to the victims in a statement posted on X, writing he was “praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief”.
“This is a painful moment. The families affected deserve compassion, privacy, and support as the investigation proceeds,” he added.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union also said: “Among the dearly departed are some of the talented and vibrant members of our entertainment community, including members of The Pond Band and a DJ.
“(Their) passion, dedication, and artistry touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Three other passengers who were not performers were also on the flight. However, their names are yet to be publicly released by officials.
CBS has reported that Bahamian investigators are looking into what led to the crash.
Flamingo Air suspended all flights after two emergency incidents happened on the same day, with Bahamian officials confirming the airline had a separate plane catch fire after landing in Nassau the same day as the fatal crash.
