ST ANN, Jamaica – Firefighters returned Sunday to retrieve a body found in a sinkhole in York Castle district, St Ann.

Despite several attempts on Saturday, the firemen were unable to bring the body up from the sinkhole in which it was found by residents and police, who launched a search for the missing man.

The body is believed to be that of 60-year-old Robert Nelson, a farmer from the district.

Nelson, the police said, was reportedly last seen alive around 6:00 pm on Monday, February 19, 2024, at a shop in the community and told persons that he was going to his farm.

On Saturday morning, around 11:45, a party consisting of police and 15 residents commenced a search for Nelson on his farm and came upon a sinkhole with a foul odour. Vultures were reportedly flying nearby.

A pair of brown shoes near the sinkhole is believed to be Nelson’s property, the police said.

Lawmen, suspecting Nelson’s body might be in the sinkhole, contacted the Ocho Rios Fire Department for assistance. Upon arriving at the location, several firefighters descended the hole.

They reported that they saw a human body lying face down, clad in a red merino, plaid underpants, and black shorts, about 100 feet in the sinkhole. The firefighters experienced difficulties in retrieving the body from the sinkhole and made arrangements to resume the effort on Sunday.
It has not yet been confirmed if the body is that of Nelson.

A missing person report for Nelson was made to the Claremont Police Station around 7:40 am on Thursday, February 22, 2024.