Funeral preparations are underway for Alrae Ramsey and Blair John, two Bahamian men whose bodies were pulled from the Po river in Turin, Italy this month. 

The Bahama Journal understands that plans are being made for John to be buried this coming Saturday at Evangelistic Temple Assemblies of God at 1 p.m. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield told reporters yesterday that he has been speaking with family members of both men two to three times a day.

He said, “We’re in the process of repatriating the bodies home to The Bahamas. Hopefully, they’ll be here by the end of the week. I think their families are preparing for the funerals. So, that’s where we are at the moment.”

“No official word from the toxicology report or anything from the investigator to indicate more than what we’ve heard thus far,” he added. 

Drowning has been cited as the cause of death for both men, and the government has come under fire for how it has handled the matter with former Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell charging that more needs to be done. 

The strongest efforts, he said, must be made to ensure a proper official investigation to be done. 

In response to his comments, Minister Henfield said, “I have been engaged with the Italian government in Rome, with whom I speak as leads arise with the deputy foreign minister. He’s at the end of my phone. I can reach out and touch him anytime.

“My officials have been in Turin since this incident occurred. Right now, my director general is in Turin. She will accompany the bodies home. I think that as a government, we have done all that is humanly possible to determine what happened, to keep the families engaged, and to return our sons to The Bahamas so that we can have them properly buried.” 

He said there will always be criticisms, but he thinks the government has been doing its best  to get to the bottom of the circumstances. 

Ramsey, a foreign service officer, was in Turin on study leave in Vienna.

John was there attending a psychology conference.