WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Search and rescue efforts will continue Tuesday for 11-year-old Desroy Smith Jr, a fifth-grade student of New Hope Primary & Junior School, who was swept away by swift waters during heavy rains Monday afternoon.

The tragic incident occurred about 2:30 pm when Desroy attempted to cross a flooded drain near the school compound. Reports indicate that he slipped and fell into the swift-moving water, which emptied directly into the Caribbean Sea. Efforts by classmates and a nearby ice cream vendor to rescue him proved unsuccessful.

READ: Hearing-impaired student swept away after falling in drain

On Monday afternoon, the Westmoreland Fire Department was on-site with a truck and crew, prepared to assist with CPR and land-based recovery if necessary. Acting Superintendent Asif Burgess told Observer Online that the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Air Wing had deployed a helicopter to conduct aerial sea searches, while the Jamaica Fire Brigade remained on standby.

“Information we received from another firefighter in the community was that a child had gone missing in swift waters leading to the sea,” Burgess explained. “We got here about 4:45 pm. A pumper had already arrived, and I took charge of the scene when I arrived at 5:00 pm. While the Fire Brigade remains present for land-based support, the marine area would be managed by the coast guard or the JDF.”

The coast guard arrived at approximately 6:00 pm, but the search had to be called off an hour later due to poor lighting conditions.

The incident has left the Whitehouse community in mourning. A female resident, who did not wish to be identified by name, said Desroy Smith Sr lost another son last September in a diving accident.

“This a guh hard fi him,” she shared. “September coming will make one year since him lose him big son. Mi call him but can’t get him, but mi hear say him deh pon di sea helping with the search.”

Shortly after the young boy was swept away, a teacher told Observer Online, “I am trembling as I speak to you. They should have been inside waiting to be dismissed, but they tried to leave through the fence. We’re heartbroken and hoping for the best. The entire community is on the seaside.”

However, some community members have expressed frustration at the school’s security protocols, with some alleging that the gate was locked, and children attempted an alternate route through a hole in the fence. One eyewitness said the boy slipped while trying to cross the drain and was pulled away by the force of the water.

“The force weh di water a come down wid drag him off the side and a suh him wash weh,” the witness stated. “A nuh nobody fault.”

A female student reportedly warned Desroy not to go, but he allegedly ignored her pleas.

Councillor for the Whitehouse Division, Michael Jackson, described the event as a heartbreaking tragedy.

“It’s an unfortunate situation during the heavy rains,” he said Monday afternoon. “The community is mourning the loss of the grade five student. Words cannot describe the grief, but we are unified in support of the family. The rescue team is searching diligently.”

The child’s mother and sister were both rushed for medical attention due to shock and distress. The family had recently buried another relative less than two weeks ago, compounding the tragedy.

Family and friends of 11-year-old Desroy Smith Jr wait anxiously for word, Monday afternoon, after he was swept away into the sea. (Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)

Despite the heartbreak, the fishing village community displayed unity as residents equipped themselves and joined the search, diving into the waters in hopes of recovery.

With continued rainfall affecting the western region, the flooded drain that flows directly into the sea presents a major challenge for rescue efforts. Authorities say Desroy could have been carried in either direction along the coastline, making the search area wide and difficult to navigate.

The hole in the fence which some say Desroy Smith Jr used to leave the school compound. Photo by: Rosalee Wood Condell