RADHICA DE SILVA
Senior Multimedia Reporter
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Angelica was a beautiful angel, an A student whose presence touched the lives of all who knew her.
That was how acting principal Wahida Mohammed-Narine remembered seven-year-old Angelica Jogie, a Standard One pupil of San Fernando TML Primary School, whose sudden and tragic death has plunged her school and community into mourning.
In a letter to parents dated April 9, Mohammed-Narine described Angelica as “bright, beautiful, well-disciplined and full of promise.” She said Angelica’s “gentle spirit and positive presence touched the lives of her classmates, teachers and all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
Angelica died following a marine incident in which she was struck by a jet ski operator. Details surrounding the circumstances of the collision are still emerging, but early reports indicate that the jet ski operator was reckless as he operated the watercraft near the bathing area.
Mohammed-Narine said the tragedy has devastated the school community, and grief counsellors are now being mobilised to support students and staff struggling to process the loss.
She said the Ministry of Education, along with the Victoria Education District and the Student Support Services Division, has committed to providing ongoing counselling—particularly for Angelica’s classmates, her sibling’s class and teachers directly affected by her passing.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our entire school community,” Mohammed-Narine wrote, extending condolences to Angelica’s parents and family while urging unity and support in the days ahead.
She said that, for many at the school, Angelica was more than just an excellent student. Friends and teachers remember her as kind, disciplined and quietly determined—qualities that made her stand out both academically and personally.
Angelica’s death has also raised wider concerns about safety on Trinidad and Tobago’s waterways, particularly during peak recreational periods, when jet skis and other high-speed vessels are frequently in use. Questions are now being asked about enforcement, operator accountability and whether existing laws are sufficient to prevent similar tragedies. The incident has sparked outrage and renewed calls for tighter regulation of watercraft use.
