Conch

Our cleaning lady Helen didn't come to work. Julia was here instead and she told us: Helen's son died, diving for conch. He was pulled out of the water and rushed to the hospital, but it was to late, even though the hospitals on St. Lucia now have decompression chambers. He was 34 years old and had a wife and four sons to take care of. He had a job, that didn't pay enough, so he was diving for conch for extra earnings. We were told, that a lot of young men loose their lives diving too deep without proper equipment. It is a dangerous job, that doesn't pay much. If you would like to buy a conch, don't bargain. It has a price tag on, that is more valuable than a beautiful shell.