Bahamas News
Jeffrey Arnett of Inagua considers himself a walking miracle
#TheBahamas, February 9, 2022 – Ask Jeffrey Arnett who he is and the first thing he says is athlete. From martial arts as a child to basketball as a teen, to running and brisk walking when he could no longer run, the incredibly fit Arnett nearly had to pack it all in with debilitating deterioration until surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida gave him his life back. At age 57, the man who only a few years ago could not even sit or lie down without pain, who could not tie his own shoelaces, now runs, does squats and feels like the full measure of who he remembered being. 
Arnett, a native of Inagua who spent 37 years at Morton Salt before retiring, was in his late 20’s when he first felt an intense pain. The sensation worsened over the next few years but remained bearable until one day, making a fast break in a basketball game, he felt a searing pain so severe it was like a sword poking him in his pelvic joint.
At first, he thought it was a muscle sprain, but the pain was so persistent that Arnett had to give up basketball, redirecting his energies to helping young children in the community, teaching martial arts and sports. Still, he could not shake the pain. Over the next years, he sought medical help at home, in the Dominican Republic and in Cuba. It was a doctor in Nassau who correctly diagnosed his problem as a severely arthritic hip joint but advised against hip replacement because of Arnett’s young age, saying he would have to undergo the surgery and recovery again in 10-15 years so suggested he hold out as long as possible.
Six years later, still with pain his constant companion, Arnett travelled to Cuba for a second opinion where he was told he had the hip of an 80-year-old man. He completed therapy in Cuba, discontinued running and took up brisk walking instead. But his condition continued to worsen. His disfigured left hip joint had caused one of his legs to become shorter than the other, leaving him with a limp. 
Years later, at age 54, resigned to the need for a hip replacement, Arnett turned to Cleveland Clinic Florida (CCF), the hospital that had saved his life four years earlier in what doctors called a miracle of timing following a harrowing trip with blood clots blocking oxygen and experiencing deep vein thrombosis, causing him to blackout. In that life-and-death scenario, where any breath could have been his last, Arnett had one stroke of good luck after another, with Bahamasair flight attendants even booking his transportation upon landing after the flight was held up for 90 frightening minutes due to a storm. When he arrived at the Weston, Florida hospital, suffering from multiple blood clots (pulmonary embolisms) that had passed through his heart and into his lungs, doctors whisked Arnett into emergency surgery. Two larger clots (deep vein thrombosis or DVT’s) were found in his pelvic artery which would have killed him had they become free. He calls it “a miracle” they caught them in time and he was still alive.
CCF performed a microscopic operation with two injections in the neck to place an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in the main artery in his stomach to stop clot from travelling up Arnett’s leg, and ran an endovascular catheter-vibration system (echo-vibration) through the heart and to the lungs to gently break up the clots in the lungs. Doctors told Arnett few people who suffer blackout from clots ever wake up. Arnett praised God for his safe recovery.
Now, four years later in April 2021, Arnett was back at Cleveland Clinic Florida, this time for the hip replacement surgery he had put off until he could not take the pain any longer. It was so intense he could not lie down. Tying his shoe laces was impossible. Bending sent knife-like slivers through his body. Arnett’s wife, Darcia, contacted Cleveland’s in-country representative, Shenika Nesbitt, and the two worked together to arrange his appointment with CCF’s orthopedic team, including his flight, transportation and accommodation.
The hip replacement surgery was conducted by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Preetesh Patel,
“I wanted to give Mr. Arnett a frank, honest assessment of his condition which I could tell was very painful, debilitating and affecting his daily life. It was important help him understand why surgery was the only viable option at that late stage,” said Dr. Patel. A filter was placed in Arnett’s stomach to prevent potential blood clots due to his history of clotting, and on April 15, 2021 the two-hour hip replacement surgical procedure was successfully completed.
Eight months later and back home in Inagua, Arnett says “I have a new lease on life and feel like my old, active self again. I can now walk, raise my knees, squat and more with no shooting pains, like nothing ever happened.”
A 4-5 inch incision which will fade in time is the only physical evidence of the surgery.
“Everything at Cleveland Clinic in Florida was good and the doctors and staff treated me very well; they made me feel so comfortable,” Arnett said. “Had I known the process would have been so easy, I would have done it 100 times over before. My only regret is not having the surgery done sooner.”
Recently retired as a Maintenance Supervisor from Morton Salt after 37 years of service, Arnett thanks God and the team at Cleveland Clinic, Florida. He will also be forever be indebted to his wife, Darcia, his daughters, Maya and Asia, his Mom and other close family members who shared the journey with him. He considers himself today a “walking miracle.”
Photo Captions:
Header: Jeffrey Arnett, now active and fully recovered after successfully undergoing hip replacement surgery to fix crippling pain at Cleveland Clinic, the second time the clinic saved the life of the athlete who friends call the miracle man.
1st insert: The Arnett’s – (standing L-R) daughters Asia and Maya; (seated L-R) Darcia Arnett (wife), Hanna (niece) and Jeffrey
2nd insert: Able to run again! Jeffrey Arnett demonstrating his agility after successful hip replacement surgery at Cleveland Clinic, Florida.
DEAR EDITOR,
Sometimes the best ideas come from experiences far away from home.
It was while I was living in Europe that I saw how excited people were about England’s iconic double-decker buses. It was a symbol of culture – and visitors looked forward to the ride as an experience in itself rather than just a method of transportation.
That sparked a thought: What if we brought that same excitement to The Bahamas, but made it uniquely Bahamian?
In November 2024, that thought became 2 Storeys Tours. I wanted visitors to see Nassau in a way they had not been able to before. That meant they could come straight off a cruise ship and onto a double-decker to see what makes our country what it is – to see our beautiful waters and to discover what makes us Bahamian.
We wanted to create something memorable, something visitors would associate with their Bahamian vacation, just as people associate double-decker buses with England.
The bus may catch your attention, but The Bahamas is what makes the experience unforgettable.
We also believe tourism should create opportunities for Bahamians.
We started less than five years ago with one very used double decker bus.
Now thanks to cruise ship business, we have quadrupled the size of our little fleet. We now have four shiny new red and blue buses, so we can say Welcome Ashore in style.
Depending on the season, between 70 and 80 percent of our business is cruise-passenger driven. Even during the slower season for hotels, the cruise ships arrive filled with people looking to explore historic Nassau and we are giving them the closest to a bird’s eye view as they can get. And they love it.
Turning an idea into a functioning business has been an exciting journey, but certainly not without challenges. From planning and preparation to finally seeing our buses on the road, the experience has taught us patience, perseverance, and the importance of believing in a vision.
We are proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited about what lies ahead.
Building partnerships helped us to get to where we are today – building them further will take us to where we can reach tomorrow.
Our ambition is to make 2 Storeys Tours a recognised and trusted name in Bahamian tourism. We want to continue improving our tours, developing new experiences, embracing environmentally responsible tourism, and building meaningful relationships – and eventually take the 2 Storeys Tours experience beyond Nassau to other islands.
Above all, we want to build something that lasts.
Looking back, it’s incredible to think that an observation while living in Europe could lead to a business right here at home.
What began as an idea became a business with a purpose, and we’re only getting started.
Our inspiration came from abroad. Our passion comes from home. And our future is proudly Bahamian.
By: KEEVON MAYNARD
President, 2 Storeys Tours
Bahamas News
Federal Investigation into Florida Turnpike Tragedy that Killed Three Children of Bahamian Mother
NTSB examining roadside assistance driver’s actions, SUV speed and seat belt use after six people perish in fiery collision
ORLANDO, FLORIDA — October 29, 2026 — Federal investigators have joined the investigation into a horrific Florida Turnpike collision that claimed six lives, including all three children of a Bahamian mother, as questions intensify over what caused the deadly crash.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that it is opening an investigation into the October 23 accident, which occurred around 9:31 p.m. near mile marker 252 in Orange County.
The agency’s involvement brings federal scrutiny to a tragedy that has devastated several families and prompted an extraordinary
outpouring of sympathy and disbelief.
Among those killed were siblings Charles Milton, Jakara Milton and Dalvena Green, the three adult children of Marshall Clarke-Milton and her husband, Charles Milton Sr.
The siblings were traveling with three others to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, reportedly on their first trip together.
They never arrived.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE WHAT WENT WRONG
The NTSB confirmed to FOX 35 Orlando that its investigation will examine the training and performance of the roadside assistance driver, the actions of the SUV driver, including speed, and whether the occupants were wearing seat belts.
The agency investigates serious transportation accidents to identify safety failures and recommend measures that could prevent similar tragedies.
Its involvement does not establish wrongdoing by either driver.
The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting a separate investigation into the collision.
According to the preliminary police account, a Road Ranger roadside assistance truck had been parked in the highway median before its driver received instructions to assist a disabled box truck on the opposite shoulder.
As the Road Ranger moved across the northbound lanes, it collided with a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse carrying six adults.
Both vehicles left the roadway and caught fire.
All six occupants of the SUV died at the scene. The Road Ranger driver survived with minor injuries.
MOTHER CHALLENGES EARLY ACCOUNT
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that the SUV was traveling at high speed without its headlights illuminated.
However, those observations have not been established as the definitive cause of the collision.
Clarke-Milton has challenged suggestions that her children or their companions were responsible, urging investigators to examine the evidence before reaching conclusions.
She wants investigators to establish the SUV’s actual speed and determine whether its headlights were operating.
The family’s concerns underscore the importance of the continuing investigations, particularly given the movement of the roadside assistance vehicle across active highway lanes.
ALL THREE CHILDREN LOST
For Clarke-Milton, the investigation unfolds against an almost incomprehensible personal tragedy.
She lost all three of her children simultaneously.
In an emotional interview with FOX 35 Orlando, the grieving mother described the terrible feeling that overcame her when she could not reach them.
“My heart sank,” she said, recalling the moment she feared her children were involved.
The siblings were among six people whose lives ended during what should have been an enjoyable evening together.
The other victims included Timothy Williams and Shawn Palmer. A sixth person’s identity had not been publicly confirmed in the latest reports reviewed.
The family’s heartbreak has resonated across The Bahamas and beyond, with expressions of sympathy accompanying calls for answers.
SEARCH FOR ANSWERS CONTINUES
The Florida Highway Patrol has indicated that a crash report is expected within approximately ten days of the accident.
The NTSB’s investigation will examine broader transportation safety concerns, including the operation of roadside assistance vehicles and the circumstances surrounding the collision.
For the grieving families, the findings cannot reverse the tragedy.
But they may establish what happened on that stretch of Florida’s Turnpike and whether anything could have prevented six people from losing their lives.
For one Bahamian mother, the loss is especially devastating.
Three children left for an evening of entertainment. Not one came home.
Nassau, The Bahamas, October 22, 2026 — The National Computer Incident Response Team of The Bahamas (CIRT-BS) has issued a cybersecurity advisory warning businesses, government institutions and other organisations about the growing threat posed by Akira ransomware, a cybercriminal operation capable of stealing sensitive information, disrupting networks and demanding ransom payments.
Active since March 2023, Akira operates through a Ransomware-as-a-Service model, with affiliates exploiting weaknesses in computer networks to gain unauthorised access.
Once inside, attackers can steal confidential data, disable recovery systems and encrypt files, preventing organisations from accessing critical information.
Particularly concerning is Akira’s use of double extortion, threatening to publish stolen information unless victims pay. Some attacks involve data theft without encryption.
The October 22 advisory identifies vulnerabilities involving Cisco and SonicWall firewalls, VPN services, Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol, Veeam backup systems and outdated Windows and Linux operating systems. VMware ESXi and Nutanix AHV environments are also potential targets.
Attackers may exploit unpatched software, stolen login credentials and inadequately secured remote-access applications, including AnyDesk and RustDesk.
Warning signs include unexpected administrator accounts, unusual remote logins, unauthorised software installations, suspicious backup activity, mass file changes and ransom notes.
CIRT-BS recommends immediate security updates, multifactor authentication, restricted remote access, stronger network monitoring and secure backups maintained separately from operational systems.
Organisations should also remove unnecessary internet exposure of remote desktop services, limit administrative privileges and regularly test backup restoration.
The advisory does not identify any confirmed Akira attack against a Bahamian organisation but highlights vulnerabilities that could expose institutions to serious financial and operational disruption.
Cybersecurity incidents can be reported to CIRT-BS at soc@cirt.bs or through its official website.
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