Families plead for assistance in search for loved ones washed away in St Mary

A second day of searching for two individuals swept away in the Wag Water River in St Mary ended unsuccessfully on Friday, leaving their families desperately appealing to the authorities for assistance.

The search was initially halted on Thursday due to the river’s dangerous conditions, caused by heavy rains and flooding across Jamaica. The missing individuals, 19-year-old Chrisan Steele and 25-year-old Omar Skyers, were reportedly swept away by floodwaters in Castleton around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday.

Steele, from Bowens Road off Waltham Park Road, and Skyers, a technical support representative at Lasco and resident of Seaview Gardens, were part of a group visiting the river when tragedy struck. According to police reports, Steele was washed off a rock by the fast-moving water. Skyers, in an attempt to save her, jumped in but was also swept away.

Friends of Skyers took to social media to express their shock and sorrow.

“Rest well, friend. I’m sorry this happened to you,” wrote Kadian Morris-Smith, describing Skyers as “humble and progressive”.

Another friend, Bri Na, shared, “A Wednesday night mi and you talk only fi a hear this, Jah know.”

The search resumed midday on Friday, but by the end of the day, there were still no signs of the two missing persons. Chrisan Steele’s uncle, Nicholas Johnson, revealed that the search efforts were led solely by the families of the missing individuals, with no assistance from the police.

“No luck at all,” said Johnson. “It was just us – the families and some community members. No help from the police. We’re going back tomorrow. The people in the area said we need to reach out to the police ourselves because they’re not going to help otherwise.”

Johnson added that they were informed the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and marine police would be contacted for assistance, but so far, no support had materialised. “We were told they needed divers, but we haven’t seen any help,” he said.

STRUGGLING TO COPE

On Friday, the search involved scouring the riverbanks, wading through bushes, and searching the riverbed. “We went everywhere the community members suggested the bodies might show up,” said Johnson, describing Steele as a “loving and hardworking” young woman who enjoyed life. “She was just a decent girl who loved to go out.”

The family is struggling to cope with the tragedy, and Johnson noted that the Castleton community has seen too much loss recently. In August, a five-year-old girl drowned in the same river while on an outing with her mother.

“I’m saddened to know that people are coming here to have a good time and not making it back home,” said a local resident. “Too much tragedy. Many of the people who visit here can’t swim, and even a small scare can be dangerous for someone unfamiliar with the water.”

The area’s political representatives are aware of the situation. Dr Norman Dunn, member of parliament for St Mary South East, told The Gleaner that a group from Kingston had come to Castleton to relax when the incident occurred.

“My understanding is that debris started coming down the river and the water level rose quickly. One of the sisters called out to her sibling to get out of the water, but everything happened too fast,” Dunn explained.

The search for Chrisan Steele and Omar Skyers is expected to continue today.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com