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RESCUED! ...Motorist saved after vehicle washed away
JDF airlifts 55 trapped in Bog Walk GorgeKIMONE THOMPSON & VAUGHN DAVIS, Observer staff reporters
Friday, October 12, 2007
The minibus which was washed away yesterday when a motorist attempted to cross the flooded Sandy Gully in Kingston. He was saved by three men after being washed several kilometres away by the raging waters.
A fifth straight day of rain yesterday caused flooding in several sections of the island, more road blockages, and anxious moments for motorists trapped by raging flood waters.
In Kingston, a 'brave' motorist who attempted to cross the flooded Sandy Gully ford, in the vicinity of Queensborough, was washed several kilometres away and ended up near Riverton City where, luckily, he was spotted by two alert children, who immediately sought help for him.
The man, whose name was not ascertained, was rescued by three men from the Riverton community and was taken to hospital.
At the same time, Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers had to assist with the rescue of several motorists and their passengers trapped by flood waters from the Rio Cobre in the notorious Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine.
(At back, from left) Gregory Right, Lawrence Brown and Alphanso McFarlane, who rescued a motorist washed away in the flooded Sandy Gully, pose for our camera with the two children who alerted them that someone was in difficulty, Shantel Smith, and Ramar Williams. (Photos: Karl McLarty)
Many of the frightened victims, including young children and elderly people, who were reportedly stranded for several hours, had to seek refuge atop their vehicles as the rising, murky waters threatened.
"I thought we were going to be washed away so we climbed out of the car onto the banking and someone came to help me across to the higher part of the road then my son brought it over," Pearline Holder, a 63-year-old Jamaican visiting from London said from her cellular phone, while trapped in the gorge - the main route that links the tourist capital, Montego Bay, to Kingston, the nation's capital.
"I'm scared," she confessed. "We're just waiting on someone to come and help us. Right now I'm sitting in water. The water in the car had come all the way up to the seat.
"There are loads of cars and trucks and children screaming all over the place," the frightened Holder said, adding that a few vehicles had been washed away. That was after 4:00 pm.
Holder, who was still trapped in the gorge up to 6:00 pm, burst into tears as the flood waters got higher and it began to get dark.
"There's no one coming to help us. Where we are the water is coming down again. Nobody is coming to help us, this is not fair, this is not fair," she cried.
However, by 6:15 pm, the JDF's duty officer reported that 45 persons were already airlifted and that soldiers in four helicopters were working in the area to rescue all the victims.
Later, director-general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson, reported that an additional 10 people had been rescued. They were taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies to receive medical treatment. Holder was among them.
The ODPEM, in a statement issued at 8:00 last night, advised motorists who were not yet rescued to leave their vehicles and climb the slopes along the gorge until help could reach them.
In the Kingston incident, eyewitnesses said at about 4:00 pm, the motorist was attempting to cross the flooded ford when his vehicle, a Toyota Hiace minibus, stalled and was swept away.
The minibus, the eyewitnesses said, was carried away by the water for several meters before it hit upon a large metal object and got stuck.
The man, they said, was then flushed out of the vehicle by the raging waters and carried for several kilometres until his flailing figure was spotted by two children - Shantel Smith and Ramar Williams - who were standing along the bank of the Sandy Gully, not far from the Riverton City dump.
"We see him face pop up in the water, and him was getting carried with the water," Shantel told the Observer yesterday.
The two youngsters said they raised an alarm and three men - Alphanso McFarlane, Lawrence Brown and Gregory Right - immediately spotted the man being dragged along in the gully and sprang into action to save him.
"We haffi run from round the side (of the gully) beside Riverton and come round to the side beside Seaview," a bare-chested McFarlane told the Observer, recounting the tale of the rescue. ".And we tell him to hold on to a stump in the water. Then the three of us jump in the gully and hold on to him. We had to lift him up from under his shoulders, 'soldier-style', and then we use a rope and tie round him, and somebody up top lift him out and put him on the ground," McFarlane continued, gesturing towards Right, who was also bare-chested with a pair of jeans, and Brown, who was soaked to the skin in a vest and jeans.
"When him (the man) come up, no life wasn't in his hands or feet. And he asked where he was and we tell him. He mumbled his name but because of the situation we can't even remember to tell you his name right now," McFarlane said.
The three were assisted by another man, Devon Ford, who came on the scene and who remained with them until the police arrived to transport the man to hospital.
According to Ford, the left side of the man's chest had sunk, and he had several small wounds all over his body.
"Bwoy we still have some good people in Jamaica, the men are some heroes," Ford told the Observer.
"The man dem fi get some medal or something," another person was overheard saying through the large crowd that had gathered to look at the three men.
The ODPEM also reported yesterday that the Jamaica Fire Brigade evacuated persons from the community of Hill Run in St Catherine because of flooding, and in St Andrew, the Chalkey River overflowed its banks and flooded Weiss Road, Nine Miles.
Also yesterday, a number of transformers in the vicinity of the General Accident Insurance Company on Half-Way-Tree Road in Kingston exploded, causing a fire, and forcing the occupants of buildings nearby to evacuate, as a precaution.
Meanwhile, Jamaicans were last night warned to prepare for a sixth day of rains as the low pressure system would be bringing more showers and was likely to cause flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas across the island.
RESCUED! ...Motorist saved after vehicle washed away
JDF airlifts 55 trapped in Bog Walk GorgeKIMONE THOMPSON & VAUGHN DAVIS, Observer staff reporters
Friday, October 12, 2007
The minibus which was washed away yesterday when a motorist attempted to cross the flooded Sandy Gully in Kingston. He was saved by three men after being washed several kilometres away by the raging waters.A fifth straight day of rain yesterday caused flooding in several sections of the island, more road blockages, and anxious moments for motorists trapped by raging flood waters.
In Kingston, a 'brave' motorist who attempted to cross the flooded Sandy Gully ford, in the vicinity of Queensborough, was washed several kilometres away and ended up near Riverton City where, luckily, he was spotted by two alert children, who immediately sought help for him.
The man, whose name was not ascertained, was rescued by three men from the Riverton community and was taken to hospital.
At the same time, Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers had to assist with the rescue of several motorists and their passengers trapped by flood waters from the Rio Cobre in the notorious Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine.
(At back, from left) Gregory Right, Lawrence Brown and Alphanso McFarlane, who rescued a motorist washed away in the flooded Sandy Gully, pose for our camera with the two children who alerted them that someone was in difficulty, Shantel Smith, and Ramar Williams. (Photos: Karl McLarty)Many of the frightened victims, including young children and elderly people, who were reportedly stranded for several hours, had to seek refuge atop their vehicles as the rising, murky waters threatened.
"I thought we were going to be washed away so we climbed out of the car onto the banking and someone came to help me across to the higher part of the road then my son brought it over," Pearline Holder, a 63-year-old Jamaican visiting from London said from her cellular phone, while trapped in the gorge - the main route that links the tourist capital, Montego Bay, to Kingston, the nation's capital.
"I'm scared," she confessed. "We're just waiting on someone to come and help us. Right now I'm sitting in water. The water in the car had come all the way up to the seat.
"There are loads of cars and trucks and children screaming all over the place," the frightened Holder said, adding that a few vehicles had been washed away. That was after 4:00 pm.
Holder, who was still trapped in the gorge up to 6:00 pm, burst into tears as the flood waters got higher and it began to get dark.
"There's no one coming to help us. Where we are the water is coming down again. Nobody is coming to help us, this is not fair, this is not fair," she cried.
However, by 6:15 pm, the JDF's duty officer reported that 45 persons were already airlifted and that soldiers in four helicopters were working in the area to rescue all the victims.
Later, director-general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson, reported that an additional 10 people had been rescued. They were taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies to receive medical treatment. Holder was among them.
The ODPEM, in a statement issued at 8:00 last night, advised motorists who were not yet rescued to leave their vehicles and climb the slopes along the gorge until help could reach them.
In the Kingston incident, eyewitnesses said at about 4:00 pm, the motorist was attempting to cross the flooded ford when his vehicle, a Toyota Hiace minibus, stalled and was swept away.
The minibus, the eyewitnesses said, was carried away by the water for several meters before it hit upon a large metal object and got stuck.
The man, they said, was then flushed out of the vehicle by the raging waters and carried for several kilometres until his flailing figure was spotted by two children - Shantel Smith and Ramar Williams - who were standing along the bank of the Sandy Gully, not far from the Riverton City dump.
"We see him face pop up in the water, and him was getting carried with the water," Shantel told the Observer yesterday.
The two youngsters said they raised an alarm and three men - Alphanso McFarlane, Lawrence Brown and Gregory Right - immediately spotted the man being dragged along in the gully and sprang into action to save him.
"We haffi run from round the side (of the gully) beside Riverton and come round to the side beside Seaview," a bare-chested McFarlane told the Observer, recounting the tale of the rescue. ".And we tell him to hold on to a stump in the water. Then the three of us jump in the gully and hold on to him. We had to lift him up from under his shoulders, 'soldier-style', and then we use a rope and tie round him, and somebody up top lift him out and put him on the ground," McFarlane continued, gesturing towards Right, who was also bare-chested with a pair of jeans, and Brown, who was soaked to the skin in a vest and jeans.
"When him (the man) come up, no life wasn't in his hands or feet. And he asked where he was and we tell him. He mumbled his name but because of the situation we can't even remember to tell you his name right now," McFarlane said.
The three were assisted by another man, Devon Ford, who came on the scene and who remained with them until the police arrived to transport the man to hospital.
According to Ford, the left side of the man's chest had sunk, and he had several small wounds all over his body.
"Bwoy we still have some good people in Jamaica, the men are some heroes," Ford told the Observer.
"The man dem fi get some medal or something," another person was overheard saying through the large crowd that had gathered to look at the three men.
The ODPEM also reported yesterday that the Jamaica Fire Brigade evacuated persons from the community of Hill Run in St Catherine because of flooding, and in St Andrew, the Chalkey River overflowed its banks and flooded Weiss Road, Nine Miles.
Also yesterday, a number of transformers in the vicinity of the General Accident Insurance Company on Half-Way-Tree Road in Kingston exploded, causing a fire, and forcing the occupants of buildings nearby to evacuate, as a precaution.
Meanwhile, Jamaicans were last night warned to prepare for a sixth day of rains as the low pressure system would be bringing more showers and was likely to cause flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas across the island.
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