A group of men have pooled $370,000 to hand over to 66-year-old George Smart, who was abducted and thrown into a 55-foot pit in Spanish Town, St Catherine, where he remained for four nights before being rescued.

The men, who were moved by Smart’s survival story, said it’s the least they can do to help get him back on his feet after such a heartbreaking ordeal.

The idea was birthed by producer Wayne “Lonesome” Brown who said he has been trying desperately to find Smart to deliver the money. Brown told the Jamaica Observer that he was deeply perturbed when he heard what Smart endured.

“Mi inna mi bed and see it, and it move me. It move mi! Di yute dem fi have a different heart. Dem man yah a big man! The man coulda be dem father. Mi feel it,” Brown said passionately.

“A friend who heard the news, too, called me and told me that he wants to give him $100,000. So, I say let me put $100,000 on it. And then one more a me friend call me and seh him afi put $100,000 too. A next brethren call from Saudi Arabia and seh him nuh have so much money like we, and him seh him a put a $30,000. We have $370,000 right here for him right now. We want him to just get in contact right away. We want to give him the money today,” Brown added.

It was reported that about 9:30 pm on Thursday, April 27, Smart of Gregory Park in Portmore, Catherine, drove his Nissan AD Wagon motor car to Jones Avenue in Spanish Town to deliver a package, but was held up by two men armed with guns.

The elderly man was then abducted and robbed of an unspecified sum of cash and his motor car, and was taken to a section of the community where he was thrown into the pit. Alone and hopeful, Smart spent four nights in the pit, not knowing if he would’ve been found. But on the morning of May 2 his prayers were answered as Smart was rescued by a team from the St Catherine Fire Department.

Citing the fact that Smart was robbed of his hard-earned money and his vehicle, a means of providing for himself, Brown said he and his friends want to drum up some support and give him a leg up.

“We plan to just give him some money so him can even get back a car. That a him livelihood so we a fi try mek him get back something. Or even if him nuh wah drive again and wah do something else, him can open a little store… anything to help himself. A man a 66 year old and yuh tek weh him livelihood now? We have to get back something for him,” he stressed.

Brown has also called on other Jamaicans to do what they can to help Smart come out “on the better side of this unfavourable situation”.

“That can help him do something again. And who knows? Maybe when other people see that they might chip in and do something, too. Anybody weh can find a little kindness and bless him, people need fi join in and do something for this man.”