The football fraternity has been plunged into mourning following the deaths of two of its members within hours of each other—as one died from drowning while the other was murdered on Sunday.
In the drowning incident, Raheem “Birdie” Belgrave, 29, of Arima, went on a hike with friends on Sunday to the Paria River, just one day after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the reopening of rivers, but from Monday.
Police said some time between 10 am and 2 pm Belgrave was bathing in the river when he got into difficulty and disappeared under the water.
His friends sprung into action and were able to help him to the river bank, but he was already in an unconscious state according to police.
His friends attempted to resuscitate him but with no success.
They, however, managed to carry him out of the area and took him to the Blanchisseuse Police Station for help.
There, the officers called the ambulance and upon its arrival the medical technicians examined Belgrave and said he was dead.
The district medical officer was called in.
The body was removed to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary pending an autopsy.
Guardian Media was told that Belgrave was a goalkeeper and was a member of the 2008-2009 National Under-17 men’s team and campaigned in the TTPro League and National Super League.
He was the son of former Senior Men’s National Team manager David Mohammed.
In the second incident, Belgrave’s team mate Ackime Prudhomme, 24, was shot several times while he stood on the road in front of his driveway in Arouca talking to two Venezuelan women.
According to a police report, at about 7.15 pm, Prudhomme exited a Nissan Tiida which was parked in front of his gateway at Bon Air North, Windy Hill, Arouca, and was having a conversation with the two Venezuelan women, both of whom had just exited the same vehicle.
Police said about two minutes later, a red coloured vehicle stopped parallel to the Nissan Tiida. The occupant opened fire.
Prudhomme, police said, fell to the ground. The red coloured vehicle drove off.
He later succumbed to his injuries at the Arima Hospital.
Police said at about 7.22 pm they responded to information received about a vehicle suspected to have been involved in Prudhomme’s murder.
Police officers who were at the Macoya and Churchill-Roosevelt Highway Intersection, saw the car heading west along the highway and called for assistance.
The vehicle was found crashed and abandoned at Centenary Extension, Tunapuna.
The police got more information and one suspect, a 38-year-old Coast Guard officer, of St Joseph Road, Foster Road, Sangre Grande, was arrested and taken to the Tunapuna Police Station. Police said the Hyundai motor vehicle was taken for processing.
In an immediate response to Prudhomme’s murder, the Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) Football Club posted on social media about the passing of its defender/midfielder Prudhomme.
“While still in shock, we remember the joyful and enthusiastic persona that Ackime brought to the squad for the last few years. He was one of the youngest members in the team and was hungry to make his mark every day. Ackime was a budding, young entrepreneur with his landscaping business as well. His energy within the team will be missed when we return,” the club said.
Also commenting on the passing of Belgrave, the QPCC Football Club described it as a “sad day for the football community and the QPCC family as the loss of two team mates hasn’t fully registered.”
“Today, along with losing our brother Ackime as mentioned in the previous post, we lost our former goalkeeper Raheem Belgrave. The former CIC stand out, popularly known as ‘Birdie’ passed away earlier today due to an unfortunate incident in Paria earlier today where he sadly drowned.
“Raheem was talented and focused but humble as ever and was also a coach at his boyhood club SKHY FC. He left these shores a few years ago and was playing in the UK with Wembley FC for the last few seasons.
“As mentioned in our last post, his former team-mate also lost his life earlier today...Our brothers will be missed. We wish their family and friends our deepest condolences at this time,” the club added.