Pedestrian bridge repaired after November tragedy

Residents of Collie Smith Drive, notably First Street, are breathing a sigh of relief after the rails to a pedestrian bridge was repaired.

A few of the residents, including Sarah Marshall, councillor for the Trench Town Division, were observed painting the newly installed rails yesterday as a part of their Labour Day project. Last November, tragedy struck after a resident known only as Terrence was washed away by floodwaters after he attempted to cross the bridge. Dorreth Campbell, a small business operator, said she witnessed the incident and is happy that there will not be a similar occurrence.

"Him (Terrence) come buy chicken and chips and he had a little boy with him. The rain was falling and Terrence leave as him get the food, and mi a watch him as him cross the road and him a try hold on to the rail and slip, because the inside railings wasn't there and the water rise high, so him couldn't see properly. Him slip and that was it. A youth a try help him and a tell him to hold on, but it never work," she said.

As she helped to paint the rails red, she touched her chest, stating that she had fallen into depression following the tragedy.

"Mi traumatise, and mi almost get a stroke and mi have to go doctor. Mi did inna shock, because mi can't believe mi just sell Terrence and him wash away in front of my eyes; and up to now dem nuh find his body," she said.

Campbell and other residents said the bridge was without railing for almost two decades. One man told the news team that the rails broke during a car chase involving police and civilians 19 years ago.

"I have seen children drop in the gully even when the rain not falling, so I know it was a hazard. Is not the first man wash away in the gully, but luckily for the first man, he could swim," the resident said.

Marshall said when she and the area's member of parliament, Mark Golding, learnt of the tragedy they had sleepless nights.

"We recently started the process to fix the rails and we reinforced it, so no one, not even a small child, can fall through it. We will also be repairing the rails on other bridges in the community," Marshall said.