Bittersweet moment as family welcomes missing rig worker's newborn

The Phillip family has welcomed its newest member, Javon Pete Phillip, the last-born son of missing Well Services Ltd employee Pete Phillip. But it's a bittersweet moment.

Pete's widow Candacy was admitted to the San Fernando General Hospital on February 21, as doctors planned to induce labour the next day.

But Candacy could not bear the thought of bringing the final child of her 16-year marriage with Pete into the world two months to the day since she lost her her husband.

She told Newsday via WhatsApp from the hospital that she was "having some pain and signs, but I ask them not to do it today because is the 22nd so they will do it tomorrow or midnight so I can make baby tomorrow.

"(I) am praying for closure."

Pete was left unaccounted for after Well Services Ltd's Rig 110 partly collapsed in the early hours of December 22. The company presumed he was dead after searching for four days. Although switching to a search and recovery mission, they have not yet been able to retrieve his body.

Newsday has been unable to reach Candacy since, but Pete's sister Paula Baxam said her sister-in-law was exhausted and has been resting since giving birth.

She said Candacy and Javon were both healthy and were expected to be discharged later on February 24.

Baxam said Javon looked just like his father, and her brother would have been overjoyed if he were alive to see his son.

"He does be excited for every single child he gets. He would have been real excited."

Javon would have been Pete's sixth child. He has two daughters, four and nine, and two sons, 11 and 13 through his marriage with Candacy, and another son, aged 18, from a previous relationship.

Although Javon will never meet his father, Baxam said the family would ensure he knows about the man whose name he carries.

"His siblings and them big enough so they have a lot of memories, so they and all could fill him in and let him know the man his father was."

Throughout the ordeal, Candacy has told Newsday Well Services Ltd has been giving her financial assistance with the children.

Baxam said the company has also provided items for Javon, such as a crib and clothes.

A company representative declined to go into details on the assistance to the family, but said: "We will continue to fully support her as we have been doing. Any additional support she may require, we will also assist."

Although the company believes it has narrowed down where Pete's body could be, search-and-recovery operations have been paused since January as it awaits specialised equipment from abroad to help stabilise the collapsing rig. It told Candacy earlier this month the equipment is expected in the first two weeks of March.

Baxam said the family has not yet received any further promising updates from the company.

Already frustrated by the lengthy wait, which has diminished her hope of retrieving her brother's body intact, Baxam said: "We waiting until March to hear what is the excuse they would give us."

Newsday was unable to get an update from the company representative on the arrival of the equipment and the resumption of the search-and-recovery operation.