Four years after Hurricane Dorian wrecked East Grand Bahama, one of the oldest Bahamian bonefishing lodges - the once illustrious Deep Way Cay (DWC) - remains closed as its employees continue to recover.

Prior to the storm, DWC was completing a $168 million expansion with the luxury hotel operator Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas after spending $44 million in upgrades over the past decade.

The high-end bonefishing lodge, established in 1958 by A.J. McClane and Gil Drake, was outfitted with its own restaurant, tennis court, bar, infinity pool, cottages, marina, rental housing, and private airport.

The lodge's amenities and the abundant bonefishing flats attracted numerous public figures such as newsman Tom Brokaw, actors Michael Keaton and Liam Neeson, and basketball star Clyde Drexler and were featured in Nashville Lifestyle, Caribbean Journal, and Garden & Gun publications, and on the Outdoor Life Network.

After the 2019 storm, DWC President Paul Vahldiek Jr. described the lodge's devastation.

"With no idea when power will be restored to East End, and no structures that can be connected on the island - no housing, offices, functioning water or sewage treatment plants in place - we have simply been forced by Mother Nature to close," Vahdiek said.

He confirmed to Grand Bahama News that there are ongoing efforts concerning DWC stating, "The company is currently in negotiations with a government department and does not wish to make any statements at this time."

Though DWC's future remains unclear, the loss of the 65-year-old property still echoes.

DWC's destruction remains a vivid memory for past managers Shervin Tate, Robert Meadows, and Mark Beckford.

Reliving the shock, Tate said, "All the docks, even the new ones we built, were gone. We got hit hard. I mean really hard. Everything you could think of - golf carts, the homes, the boats - everything was just destroyed."

Beckford said he was not at Deep Water Cay at the time, but went back three days after the storm.

"Driving out there you would see shutters and debris as far back as High Rock and Bevans Town. As we passed through Pelican Point, you'd see more shutters and the barge," he said.

Tate and Beckford both lost their homes and their fledgling businesses.

"I was getting ready to acquire some property. I was [also] trying to get financing to do a cargo ferry between McLean's Town, Sweeting's Cay, and Crown Haven," Beckford said.

Tate said, "My wife had just started a breakfast kitchen. All the new appliances and stuff that she bought were gone."

The closure of the resort impacted 62 workers. Though burdened with an estimated cost of $1 million to clean up the lodge, DWC tried to support its staff, the load lightened by Global Medics, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and Air Flight Charters which provided clean water and emergency supplies.

In addition, Vahldiek and other administrators organized a GoFundMe campaign which raised about $249,000 which was equally shared.

Grateful for his time at DWC, Meadows said, "Deep Water Cay was like home for most of us here. It was more than a job. It was almost like another family, you know?"

All three managers described the cay as a peaceful and beautiful place that allowed them to develop their various skills and new relationships.

They thanked Vahldiek and General Manager Joseph Bunton for creating an inviting and lush atmosphere.

When asked about his fondest memory, Tate responded, "I remember one of my guests was diagnosed with cancer and the doctor gave him a few days to live. I remember singing 'Wind Beneath My Wings' for him and his family, and they began to cry. They passed me an envelope that had $1,250 inside of it. I was blown away."

The three managers said that, although they have found new homes and new jobs, they are concerned about the potential effect its loss would have on McLean's Town and Sweeting's Cay.

As a past Sweeting's Cay Deputy Chief Councilor, Tate noted that the lodge provided employment and other economic benefits.

Both Tate and Meadows noted that guests frequented local bars and stores as well as cultural events such as the McLean's Town Conch Cracking Festival.

Prior to the storm, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) released a study — The 2018 Economic Impact of Flats Fishing in The Bahamas — which said that visiting anglers spent nearly $133 million in total and about $14 million in Grand Bahama alone.

Beckford expressed worry about the mangroves, the natural habitat for bonefish, as the 2022 Mangrove Report Card for The Bahamas by the Perry Institute for Marine Science reported that 22 percent of Grand Bahama's mangroves were wiped out.

He worries that without remediation the flats may not fully recover, leaving East Grand Bahama with fewer attractions.

However, the three believe that Deep Water Cay, McLean's Town, and Sweeting's Cay can rebound through communal effort and government support.

"East Grand Bahama really is one of those places where you get to see the almost untouched beauty of Grand Bahama. You want to showcase that and have tourists experience it themselves. For that to happen, the government has to focus on trying to empower local entrepreneurs," Tate said.

"We can't be selfish. We got to think about each other. So, we must continue to better this island as a whole."

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