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Five members of a cherished band died in a plane crash while traveling to Andros in the Bahamas

Da Pond Band was set to play at the All-Andros and the Berry Island Regatta, celebrating Bahamian culture and heritage

Surviving member Shanice Miller said she and her bandmates “always stuck together like a unit”

Several members of a cherished band were among those who died in a small plane crash in the Bahamas.

Five members of Da Pond Band were flying to San Andros on Friday, July 10, for a performance when their Cessna plane crashed en route to their destination at around around 1 p.m. local time, according to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority of the Bahamas and Bahamian outlet Eyewitness News.

The band members — including band leader Giovanni McKenzie, lead guitarist Rashad Storr, bass player Mateo Winder, lead singer Travis Johnson and Tonique Gilot — were among the 10 individuals who died in the crash, Eyewitness News reported.

“Da Pond Band has lost 5 of its members who were the core, the heart, and the life of the band,” one of the band’s singers, Lamar Polhamus, said, Complex reported.

“This recovery will be long and rough. We can only ask for some space, time, support, and prayers,” Polhamus added.

The band was traveling to perform at the 31st annual All-Andros and the Berry Island Regatta, lead singer Shanice Miller told Eyewitness News. The festival, which was held from Thursday, July 9, to Sunday, July 12, historically celebrates Bahamian heritage and culture through music, food and boat racing.

One of Da Pond Band’s members, Winder, was from the area and was especially eager to be returning, Miller told the outlet.

“He wanted to go home to his family, to represent,” Miller said, adding that she and her bandmates “always stuck together like a unit.”

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The Bahamas Musicians & Entertainers Union paid tribute to the late members of Da Pond Band, “whose passion, dedication, and artistry touched so many lived and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas,” and to Melvin Henfield, known locally as DJ Fresh, who was also onboard the doomed plane.

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