TORONTO, Canada – Jamaicans living in Canada are praising Jamaican security personnel for the positive outcome to the hostage drama in Montego Bay yesterday.

“I am proud as a Jamaican that we were able to get out of this without anyone getting hurt,” said Nzinga Walker, director of programme and community initiative at Four Villages Community Health Centre.

“I know this is not good for tourism but I hope people will realise that this is just an isolated incident. And it was good to see our hospitality on display. All the hostages after they were released were treated to the best hospitality.”

Walker said she was glued to different media outlets all morning yesterday for news. “When you are dealing with a person with mental issues, you use patience, you remain calm, you use the family and when that doesn’t work, this is the best outcome that could have happened.”

The hostage drama began unfolding on Sunday night when 21-year-old Stephen Fray forced his way through security checks at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and took 167 persons on board CANJET Flight #918 as hostages. The incident was resolved eight hours later when Jamaica Defence Force soldiers accessed the plane and disarmed the gunman.

Immediate past president of the Jamaican Diaspora Canada Foundation, Philip Mascoll, said the crisis was professionally handled.

“It was the first time that Jamaica has faced something like this and it proves that the security forces in Jamaica can handle anything. I congratulate them on this ending without anybody getting hurt,” he said.

Paul Barnett, a director and former president of the Alliance of Jamaican Alumni Associations said he felt especially pleased when he heard a CANJET official praising the Jamaican security personnel on how well they handled the situation. “It was also good that Prime Minister Bruce Golding was there in Montego Bay,” he added.

Businesswoman Letna Allen-Rowe added her praises for “the brave attempt on the part of our security forces.”

“They did this without any major incident and resolved it in a very short time. It just shows that the Jamaican government and security personnel are on top of their game.”

Allen-Rowe added that this incident should not in “any form or shape hurt Jamaica’s tourism industry.”

“Anybody who has booked a vacation in Jamaica should not let this be an impediment to them going. Jamaica is still one of the safest destinations to visit.”