Search to Resume for Two People Swept Away by Floodwaters in Castleton

A search is set to resume this morning for a man and a woman who were swept away by floodwaters in a river in Castleton, St Mary, on Thursday.

Efforts to locate the missing individuals were suspended yesterday after search teams, including police and local residents, faced dangerously high water levels due to the river being in spate. Heavy rains that lashed sections of Jamaica contributed to the rising waters, making the search challenging and unsafe.

According to reports, the missing woman was part of a group from Kingston that had travelled to Castleton for leisure. While they were enjoying the river, one of the woman’s sisters noticed debris being carried by the current and the water levels rising rapidly.

“My understanding is that a group of persons from Kingston came to Castleton to enjoy themselves… I was told that while they were in the water one of the sisters realised that debris was coming down and the water was getting high so she called out to her sister and told her to get out of the water. But everything happened so fast,” said Dr. Norman Dunn, Member of Parliament for St Mary South East, during a statement this morning.

According to police sources, the woman was washed away from a rock by the powerful currents. A man, realizing what had happened, immediately jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue her but was also swept away by the rushing water.

Dr. Dunn noted the challenges the search team is facing due to the river’s continued high levels, making a thorough search difficult.

“The challenge is that the river is still in spate, which makes it difficult to conduct a proper search as the water has not subsided,” he said.

Additional resources have been requested to assist in the search efforts, including the marine police, who have been dispatched to patrol Annotto Bay, where the river deposits into the sea. Authorities are hopeful that with the support of the marine unit and improved weather conditions, the search can continue more effectively today.

Further updates are expected as rescue teams work against the clock to locate the missing pair.