KINGSTON, Jamaica — Thursday morning marked Christophe Lynch’s last adventure to his neighbour’s house in Lincoln, Brown’s Town, St Ann where he usually goes to swim.

The 14-year-old is suspected to have drowned in a 10 feet deep tank.

The Jamaica Observer understands that shortly after 11:30 am, a neighbour said to be a friend of Lynch’s alerted his grandmother that he had drowned.

News of the boy’s tragic passing has left his family in a complete state of despair. His grandmother, Elsie Hoggart, with whom Lynch was spending time with before his death, explained to the Observer what had transpired before he left their house.

“Him and him sister was outside at the top playing because me and him must go on the road to sell and he was in the yard. Me not even did know that him leave the yard,” she said. “Right now me foot them a shake because me cyah believe say me and him was with each other and then out a nowhere me hear him just gone like that.”

The distraught mother, Sheree-Ann Hoggart explained that she believed reports that her second born had passed was just another prank.

“Me daughter call me but true me know them always call me and prank me all in my mind say it was a joke. So me say to her give mommy the phone and when me talk to my mother and ask what happen she tell me say him drown,” Sheree-Ann cried. “Me shock and me feel the pain in a me belly, me ago miss me pickney bad to tell you the truth.”

The Brown’s Town High School student was described as reliable by his relatives.

“Once you tell Chris to do anything him make sure to do it even if him leave to play him come back around and get it done,” said the mother.

“Him was my handy little boy, anything me want and once me call on him he get it done. Me and him live like a me husband because him help me out a lot,” Elise added.

Neighbours were also left in a state of complete shock. The rural community was never expecting any news of such nature. 

“Me a tell you honestly it rough, we nah look fi hear nothing like this man,” one neighbour told the Observer. “Is a little boy that we see all the time and know just to be about playing; he will be missed.” 

Meanwhile, Kevin Francis, Deputy Superintendent of Police in charge of operations in St Ann said investigations are still on-going and expressed his sincere condolences to the family.

“The police are carrying out investigations to ascertain the situation at hand. We offer our deepest condolences to the family and trust that they will find comfort at this difficult time,” he said.

Akera Davis