The family of brothers Tavaris and Tavaughn Bulgin are now in the US to assist with search efforts for Tavaughn, 21, who has been missing since Sunday evening after diving off the “Jaws Bridge” in Boston, Massachusetts.
The boys’ father, Reverend Keith Bulgin, his wife Jacqueline and two daughters Tavanny and Tavania arrived in Boston yesterday along with a member of the Palmer’s Cross New Testament Church and a representative from the headquarters of the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica. Rev. Bulgin has been the pastor for the Palmer’s Cross New Testament Church in Clarendon for more than 26 years, and his sons, Tavaris and Tavaughn were active members.
The brothers were seasonal workers, employed to a restaurant in Martha’s Vineyard for the summer, and had gone to the infamous “Jaws Bridge” with friends. The group of four dived into the water, but only two survived. The body of 26-year-old Tavaris was found Monday morning, but despite several hours of searching the waters on Monday and Tuesday, the US State Police have not been able to locate Tavaughn. The team had to call off the search early Tuesday because of bad weather. The family was told the search would continue today.
“As you would imagine, the grieving continues and will not go away anytime soon, but they are physically well and they are settled and they are up and about now,” said Bishop Rhoan Parkins who has been speaking on the family’s behalf.
“The family is focused on getting the things that they went to Massachusetts to get done done, and a part of that is to find the body of the other son. Whenever they are complete in terms of what they are doing there, then we turn our attention to the burial,” he said.
Bishop Parkins said the family will be seeking to get both of the siblings’ bodies out of the country at the same time. Meanwhile, they have approved two GoFundMe accounts that were established to assist with funding the burials. These accounts were organised by friends, Marsha Nadine in New York and Doug Abdel Nour in Boston. Bishop Parkins said they are aware of at least one other GoFundMe account that was established, but checks are still being made to verify the connection of the organiser to the family or church community.