The ten-month-old son of a member of the Soca Warrior squad now in Brazil died this morning, moments after being dropped off at a daycare centre at Cicada Street, Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas.
The grandparents of Maitai Phillip said the child was dropped off at the daycare shortly after 6 am. The child’s father is goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, who is expected back in Trinidad tomorrow.
Less than an hour later they received a message from staff at Anointed Angels saying the child was at the Chaguanas Health Facility and they needed to get there as soon as possible.
The child, they said, choked on the car seat straps. Relatives said they want a full investigation into the death.
A release issued by the TTFA said Phillip was told of his son's death shortly after 10 am.
Phillip is now scheduled to leave for home this evening with assistant manager Peter Rampersad and is expected to arrive at Piarco at around midday tomorrow.
The Point Fortin Civic Centre custodian was the reserve goalkeeper in Wednesday’s friendly international against Argentina. He has been a member of T&T Under 17, Under 20 Under 23 and Senior Teams.
The release said national team head coach Stephen Hart, in a brief statement, had expressed condolences to Phillip and his family on behalf of the team and the TTFA. "This is a tragic moment in Marvin's life. He has faced some traumatic moments in the last month. Our hearts go out to him and the family. This is such a sad moment, I cannot even begin to understand what he must be going through emotionally. All this really places life into perspective for myself personally and us as a team,” Hart told TTFA media as members of the team gathered at Phillips’ room at the Bristol International Airport Hotel.
Other tragic child deaths Phillips was the third child to die this week. On Sunday, 23-month-old Kriston Obadele Gonzales drowned in a manmade pool at his Moruga home. One day later five-year-old Jemimah Agard drowned at the YMCA pool at Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, after she and her classmates attended swimming lessons.