Body of man swept away by floodwaters found

What was anticipated to bring closure, instead deepened the sorrow for Sylvia Knight, aunt of Alrick 'Kalonji' Moncrieffe, the 26-year-old security guard who was swept away by floodwaters in Havana, Arnett Gardens, St Andrew, during Hurricane Beryl's onslaught.

Moncrieffe went missing after reportedly jumping into the gully to retrieve a ball while he and others were outside playing a game. After an exhaustive week-long search effort, police announced on Thursday that they had recovered Moncrieffe's body around 10:45 a.m. The grim discovery was made in the waters near the Petrojam plant in St Andrew. Speaking to THE WEEKEND STAR in a previous interview, Knight had expressed a mix of hope and dread.

"If they found the body, it would give us little peace of mind. At least we could put him at rest," she said at the time. However, the reality has been far from comforting for the grieving family.

"His mother nah tek it well at all," Knight lamented. She recalled the moment she received the devastating call while she was at work, leading to a breakdown.

"I thought that finding him would make me feel better but it's like it make me feel worse," Knight said tearfully. "It is so stressing because every time I think about him, I break down."

Despite her involvement in the search effort, Knight could not bring herself to view his recovered body.

"I don't think I could have endured seeing him," she explained. Reflecting on Moncrieffe's life, Knight remembered him as a humble individual who "nuh give trouble." She described the immense emotional toll the loss has taken on their family, stating, "We a tek it hard."