All-out effort to save his girl
A GRIEVING Anthony Marshall, father of victim Pearl Cornelius.
Sun, September 05, 2010 - 12:00 AM
ANTHONY Marshall tried to rescue his daughter from Friday night’s raging inferno by scaling the roof of the Campus Trendz clothing store inside which she was trapped.
Marshall, 37, is hurting and hurting badly.
Pearl Amanda Cornelius is his firstborn and he tried everything he could to save his precious 18-year-old daughter, including climbing onto a fireman’s ladder to get onto the roof of the burning store on Tudor Street.
He and six-footer Alvin Babb ripped off the roof and made it to the top floor of the building but their efforts were thwarted by a concrete structure that prevented them from reaching Cornelius and five other young women who later died in the fire started by a group of bandits.
“The bodies weren’t badly burnt or disfigured,” Marshall said, in recalling their ordeal.
He noted that his daughter’s clothes and shoes were not damaged. He said “the fire did not get to them because they had the door locked to keep out the robbers.
“The heat [smoke inhalation] would have killed the girls,” he said.
Too distraught
When a SUNDAY SUN team visited his home yesterday at London Bourne Towers in Lower Bay Street, his wife Nicola Marshall, who was getting her nails done at a nearby salon on Tudor Street when she was alerted of the Campus Trendz fire, was too distraught to speak.
Anthony, a heavy-duty crane operator at the Bridgetown Port, is looking to divine healing to get over this difficult chapter.
“One shouldn’t question the Almighty, but you have to ask, ‘Why her and why now?’ The family has to get through this and have faith.”
Cornelius, who is Guyanese-born, resided in 10th Avenue, New Orleans, and was educated at Deighton Griffith Secondary.
“She was a good daughter. She was working on Fridays and Saturdays and was doing evening classes at Springer Memorial.”
Catholic priest Father Vibert Stephens also shared fond memories of her as a former altar server at the St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral.
“She could always be relied on. Pearl was very pleasant, willing and always smiling. An angel on the altar, she was always willing to serve.”
Pearl would have been 19 in November.
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All of these stories are heart-renching.
I pray that God strengthens all the families and friends of these girls.
May the police catch the thugs, who caused the deaths of these girls.
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Comment LinkMay God bless them and their families. The ones who did this want hanging…
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Comment LinkIt is times like these that cause the average human being to ask “why” and to cause us to question our faith. It is also times like these when we must rely on our faith to get us through these days…when we have to really cast our cares on God. So I say to this family and all the other families let God be your refuge and your strength and cry out and call out to Him in your agony and grief…He is a comforter.
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Comment LinkMy heart goes out to the familys of the 6 ladies who lost their lives. This is so sad.
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Comment LinkThe Lord give and he Taketh
away blessed be the name of the Lord. My deepest sympathy to all those who lost a love one. Prayers changes things and everyone has a conscience and those men will be hunted until they give up. Mr and Mrs Cornelius you are in my prayers and may you find comfort in the arms of the Lord.
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Comment LinkOnly God knows that my heart breaking fuh these families right now. Everytime I read another story my heart in knots and hurting. Well well well when ppl can be so cruel to others and tek life like this mek me wonder where ppl compassion gone.Tek it easy breddrin we all hurting wid you, God knows!!!!
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Comment LinkThis is so sad. May her soul rest in perfect peace…and yes she was a very joyful person..that I know for a fact…
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