Leonard “Leo” Jno-Baptiste

Reports indicate that Jno-Baptiste accompanied by another adult and two teens, left the fisherman’s ramp at Beef Island in a 16ft Boston whaler on Sunday morning on a course that took them in an offshore area of Brewers Bay .

Police said that the crew had set a net in the water and sometime later, the deceased and another person from the group went into the water to retrieve the fish that were caught in the net.

“After sometime the deceased was not seen on the surface of the water, which prompted his companion who was at the far end of the net to search for him. It was further reported that the deceased was found under the water with his foot entangled in the net. Initial attempts by his companion to free him proved futile,” the police reported. 

Further, the police stated that his companion then resurfaced and called on the other occupants of the boat to assist him, which they did.

They successfully managed to free the deceased and took him into the boat. Attempts to resuscitate the deceased were unsuccessful, police stated.

At 11:30 p.m., Police said they were called to Beef Island Bridge where the body of the deceased was met in the boat along with three other occupants.

The body was then taken to a landing area at the Beef Island Bridge where it was examined by Dr. Tine and pronounced dead.

Jno-Baptiste or “Leo” as he is popularly known, was a Retail Manager at the Paint Factory and was employed at the Purcell Estate facility for close to five years.

He was a father of two, who had relocated to Tortola 12 years ago.

Relatives were desperately trying to come to grips with the tragedy and were unable to muster strength to say anything extensive on the passing of Jno-Baptiste.

This is the second relative to have died tragically in less than five years for the family.

Leonard is the brother of Clara Natasha Jno-Baptiste whose decomposed body was found in the Horse Path area on November 19, 2003 after she went missing 10 days earlier on November 9.
Yesterday, relatives and friends consoled each other at the home of Joania Nichalos-Smith, the mother of Leonard.

Nichalos-Smith related that she was at church when she heard the news of her son’s passing and immediately rushed to Beef Island where she saw her son’s body.

Jerry Edmunds, Managing Director of the Paint Factory said Jno-Baptiste was more than his employee, while noting that the two shared a very close personal relationship.

Edmunds described Jno-Baptiste as a dedicated employee, who was always willing to go the extra mile for the company and was a perfect example of dedicated service with a smile.

“We have received emails, telephone calls and customers have actually walked into our store just to let us know that they are mourning with us. We are saddened by this loss. He was a very special person to my business and to me personally,” Edmunds stated.

Edmunds and his wife spoke with the StandPoint and they both concluded that Jno-Baptiste was consistently genuine and sweet.

Edmunds recalled his late employee as a very good swimmer and an avid fisherman. 

“We knew he loved fishing and from time to time we would actually assist him with acquiring some of the equipment he needed. He fished commercially and this was something he loved,” Edmunds stated.

Asked if he was ever invited on any of the fishing expeditions, Edmunds said, he never took the opportunity to accompany Jno-Baptiste.

“I surely wish I was there with him yesterday [Sunday],” Edmunds stated. The Paint Factory was closed yesterday and is scheduled to resume operations today.

The body of Jno-Baptiste is now at the Davis Funeral Home and police are awaiting the outcome of an autopsy to confirm the exact cause and nature of death.

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