Fireman’s body found in river

Firefighters attached to the Westmoreland Fire Department are still in shock over the death of one of their most dedicated colleagues, whose partially decomposed body was fished from the Roaring River three days after he went missing.

Commanding officer Superintendent Rudolph Seaton said the deceased, 57-year-old Carteus McIntosh, who resided in Logwood in the parish, was a hard-working, no-nonsense firefighter, and that they were not expecting to lose him in such a manner.

"Well really and truly we are in a sombre mood, a lot of persons are distraught because this is not the news that we were expecting," Seaton told THE STAR.

"We got a call from the police yesterday [Monday] that he was reported missing, and we were hoping to hear some good news that they found him, and that he was alive. But that was not to be, because we got another call from the police today [Tuesday] that a car was found somewhere parked in the Roaring River area, and also that a body was found close by in the river and we were called to give some assistance." Seaton said they were not expecting that the body would be that of their colleague.

"It became even more burdensome knowing that it was one of our members, and that we have to be the ones to assist in that recovery effort," he said. Seaton said the firefighters have been given counselling, and that a pastor was also called in to assist.

Police report that McIntosh was last seen at his home in Logwood last Saturday morning, and a missing person's report was later filed at the Whithorne Police Station by his wife. About 8 a.m. on Tuesday, his motor vehicle was discovered in the vicinity of the Roaring River and the police and fire department alerted. On their arrival, a search was carried out, and McIntosh's body was later discovered entangled in some bamboo in the river. The body was fished from the river by his colleagues, and was transported to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The police say they have commenced a probe.

Seaton said that McIntosh dedicated more than 33 years of his life to the service, but a simple accident which took place last year sidelined him for several months.

"It is alleged that he responded to an emergency scene and he stepped on a nail, and of course he had some underlying medical conditions, so his foot became infected," he said. Firefighters said McIntosh's foot had to be amputated below the ankle. Despite this, Seaton said that McIntosh's recovery was very good, and he was about to return to work soon, but tragedy struck.

"It was just on Friday that we kept a function at the station, and McIntosh was there. I remembered at one point I saw him cheerful and laughing, while talking to the commissioner," a colleague recalled.