ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — A man drowned on Wednesday afternoon after reportedly falling from the back of a Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) pickup into the Rio Cobre in the Bog Walk Gorge, St Catherine.

The incident occurred close to 1 pm and was captured live by See Jamaica. The footage shows the JCF vehicle travelling across Flat Bridge at 12:57 pm, when the man appears to fall from the back of the pickup into the river, clutching what looked like a tyre. Moments later, the tyre was seen floating downstream, but the man had disappeared beneath the surface.

Shortly after, police personnel were seen on foot along the bridge and in the surrounding area searching for him. Several marked police units arrived at the scene over the next two hours as the search intensified.

In a later video, firefighters are seen retrieving the tyre with the man’s body attached, confirming that he had drowned.

The circumstances surrounding how the man came to be in the back of the police vehicle remained unclear. Efforts by Observer Online to reach head of the St Catherine North Police Division, Superintendent Hopeton Nicholson, for comment were unsuccessful.