Hero, Who Rescues Elderly Flood Victim, Cries About Not Being Able To Save Others
April 20, 2022Despite his heroics, Clayvian Williams broke down in tears and regret about not being able to rescue more members of a family, whose motor car was swept away yesterday by flood-waters during heavy rainfall along Westgate main road in Montego Bay, St James.
The body of Jennel Walters, a 12-year-old student of Montego Bay High School, has been found. However, her 68-year-old grandmother, Beryl Walters, is still missing and is feared dead. The child’s aunt, Shannon Walters, escaped.
Berris Walters, who was driving the ill-fated car, ended up being rescued by three men, including Williams. The names of the other two heroes have not yet been ascertained.
Williams, a landscaper, told The Beacon that he was at work when the security guard there told him that it appeared something bad was happening outside the premises due to the commotion and crowd that was gathering there.
“Mi realize that whole heap a people a look down the river and a shout,” Williams recalled.
He rushed to the scene and saw an elderly man fighting the murky water.
“Mi nuh bother hesitate; mi run off same time and start tek off mi merino to help,” he said. “It was just a split second thinking.”
Williams started to assist the other two rescuers who, like him, work near the scene.
“Mi reach just in time to si when dem a try goh towards the elder (Walters).”
Williams explained that one of the men threw one end of a length of rope into the water. The elderly man grabbed it and was being pulled towards the embankment where the rescuers were standing.
Noticing that the senior seemingly had become too weak, Williams jumped into the water, positioned himself beneath the elder and pushed him onto the embankment.
“Mi feel good [that I helped to rescue him],” said the hero, a graduate of Rusea’s High School in his native Hanover as well as Glengoffe High in St Catherine.
Williams said he does not know how the elderly man got out of the car as that happened before he arrived at the scene.
He is convinced that, based on videos he has seen, he would have been able to rescue more people if he had known earlier about the incident.
“If yuh have somebody who brave enough and could swim, they could take the passengers out of the car before everything get worse,” he said, noting that he is good at swimming.
“It is tragic. Mi sorry somebody dead,” Williams told The Beacon, crying.
WE also do obituaries, advertisement, and special coverage of funerals, birthday parties, weddings, and other milestones. Call or WhatsApp us at 876-305-4574 or emaail us at jamaicabeaconnews@gmail.com.
