A teen boy and a student of prominent Kingston High School, Wolmers, reportedly died from drowning over the weekend. The young man, David Minott, is said to be the grandson of reggae legend the late Sugar Minott.
Few details have been shared about the incident, but according to the Jamaica Observer, the teen, a fourth-form student, drowned during a beach trip at Sommerset Falls in Hope Bay, Portland, on Sunday.
The incident occurred around 2:00 p.m. when Minott went swimming with a group of people. He was seen sitting on a rock, and shortly after, lifeguards found his body below the surface of the water.
The young Minott is being mourned by his school and classmates, where he served as Public Relations Officer for the Inter-Schools’ Christian Fellowship group and was a representative for the ‘Passion and Purity’ group at the school.
His Passion and Purity group shared a video of an eloquent Minott speaking about his Christian beliefs and his persuasion about the group being much needed in a dark world and his happiness living the word of God.
David, who shared he has a passion for dancing, comes from a rich legacy as his grandfather is among some of the most talented artists Jamaica has ever produced.
The elder Minott passed away in 2010 at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston after suffering from a heart-related ailment at the age of 54. He left behind his wife, Maxine Stowe, and his 14 children, mother, and seven siblings.
Minott is regaled as the “Godfather” of Dancehall Music, and more so, he is credited as the Godfather of reggae music in Japan and for his nurturing of several Japanese artists who have continued to spread the genre that was once based only in Jamaica.
His biggest hits include “Buy Out The Bar,” “Hard Time Pressure,” and a cover of the Jackson Five song “Good Thing Going,” which landed on several charts.
The young Minott was also a talented budding musician who sing and write songs, according to his family.
“He sings, draws, raps, he does everything well. For his SBA in Art, he drew a picture of his grandfather, he got 97 for that picture,” Sharon Miller shared while speaking with the Observer. “He was involved in everything at Wolmer’s, he was one of the brightest minds in Wolmer’s. Two weeks ago, I got the report, two weeks ago, God. Literature is 96, And Maths is 100.”
