Former London, Ont. couple unreachable after Jamaican home is destroyed

A local couple is anxiously trying to contact family members in Jamaica. With the details, here’s CTV London’s Sean Irvine.

A former London, Ont., couple has not been heard from since Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, according to family.

Family members are now desperate to contact them.

The last time they spoke to Richard and Dianne Kitching, the couple’s island home was being torn to pieces.

The couple began to build their home on the southeastern tip of the island a quarter of a century ago. Their son, Jason, and daughter-in-law, Jeanine, visited often.

“It’s beautiful. It’s 10 acres of land on top of the mountain. They’ve got a view of the coast from where they live. They’re just kind of living in paradise. It’s like what everyone dreams about doing,” Jason said.

“Let’s just retire and move to Jamaica.”

Richard, a former London firefighter, and Diane fell in love with Jamaica during vacations in the 1980s and ’90s, Jason says. Early retirement allowed them to move there permanently.

Over the years, the couple endured several hurricanes but never a direct hit. As Melissa neared Category 5, fears grew. Jason checked in frequently as the storm approached.

At noon on Tuesday, Dianne told her son the winds were high but tolerable.

Ninety minutes later, the situation had changed dramatically, for the worse.

“It was quite a frantic call at that time,” Jason recalled with concern. “They were underneath the house because the roof had blown off already, and all the windows had been blown out.”

At the time, the couple had moved underneath a concrete porch.

“They were quite frightened, and they were underneath the house, and they were trying to make their way to this, the building we call the bunker, the cinder block ten by ten building.”

‘We just don’t know’

Seconds later, Jason said the phone went dead. He hasn’t heard from his parents since.

“It’s been a couple of days now of anticipation and worry. I would love to hear some news,” he said.

Jeanine is holding out hope for the same.

“To know if they have food, if they have water, if they have a place to rest their heads — like we just don’t know.”

Desperate for information, Jeanine says she’s reached out to every relief and government agency she can find.

“I don’t know if there’s a world where there can be a helicopter that goes to their mountain. But I’m just doing everything I can to try to reach out,” she said while wiping away a tear.

So far, the couple has been told it could be days, if not weeks, before communications are restored.

With no word, the couple created an online fundraiser to help the Kitchings rebuild, because “doing something” helps them stay positive.

“We have to,” said Jeanine, as Jason added, “My dad is quite a resourceful man. He’s a MacGyver.”

Jeanine agreed, ending with the thought of, “If anyone can get through this, it’s Richard.”

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