Reverend Keith Bulgin and his wife, Jacqueline, have jetted off to the United States to claim the body of their son, Tavaris, who along with his brother, Tavaughn, drowned after jumping off a bridge at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts on Sunday night.

The younger brother Tavaughn, who was studying business at the University of West Indies, is presumed dead as his body has not yet been recovered by authorities.

“I’ve heard that the entire family is overseas now,” Reverend Leslie Pinnock, a family friend, and pastor of the Escarpment Road New Testament Church of God, told OBSERVER ONLINE.

“I haven’t heard anything else, no updates yet,” he added.

The search for Tavaughn Bulgin’s body was suspended Tuesday afternoon because of dangerous weather conditions, US officials said. He had not been located as of Wednesday.

The brothers, who were seasonal workers at Martha’s Vineyard, went missing after jumping off a well-known bridge in the area featured in the horror classic “Jaws”.

The boys’ father, Reverend Keith Bulgin, described the young men as pillars of his church and the community, who were active in his ministry in Clarendon.

“They were my boys and they were so helpful. Tavaughn played keyboard in our praise and worship in the church and Tavaris (the older brother) was the Sunday School superintendent, he was like a technological genius, he did the structure for the whole church….everything,” Reverend Keith Bulgin, who is the pastor at the Palmers Cross New Testament Church of God, said.

Tavaris had recently graduated from the University of Technology in Jamaica.

The brothers are survived by their parents, Rev Bulgin and his wife, Jackie, and their two sisters, Tavanny and Tavania.

Two GoFundMe campaigns were launched to help the Bulgin family transport the brothers’ bodies home for burial and cover their funeral expenses. One account has racked up US$4,000 while another, titled ‘Memorial Fund’, has amassed US$170,000, including an anonymous US$25,000 donation.

Organiser Doug Abdelnour wrote glowingly about the brothers on the fundraiser’s page, saying that “their bright smiles, charismatic personalities, unshakeable faith and unrelenting positive attitude made them an absolute joy to be around.”