Epileptic man found dead in harbour

The family of Michael Alvarenga is now reeling from grief following the discovery of his body in the waters off Breezy Castle, Elletson Road in Kingston on Wednesday.

Relatives believe that 31 year-old Alvarenga, who suffered from epilepsy, had a seizure and fell into a gully near Fleet Street sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.

"A from him a pickney him a have the seizure dem, and weh mi get fi understand is dat him get a seizure and drop inna di gully and, while him still did a have the seizure, the rain come down pan him and him drown and wash weh," said Caterina Wallace, Alvarenga's aunt. According to the Constabulary Communications Network, the Elletson Road Criminal Investigation Branch is investigating a case of a suspected drowning, identifying Alvarenga as the deceased. Reports are that, about 9:05 a.m., family members stumbled upon Alvarenga floating in the sea and alerted the police. Upon their arrival, the body was removed from the water and taken to the morgue for post-mortem.

Wallace explained that her nephew usually takes medication to control his seizures but, at times, the side effects are extremely aggressive. Wallace thought he might have gone to the Kingston Public Hospital, as he was frequently admitted there because of his illness.

"Mi frighten when mi hear seh a dung a sea dem guh find him," Wallace said as tears filled her eyes. She also told THE WEEKEND STAR that, although Alveranga had his challenges, he was extremely helpful and she could call on him to assist her with any task. Alvarenga's cousin Kerrida Prince shared similar sentiments and told the news team that this was not the first time Alvarenga fell into the gully because of his health condition.

"Earlier up in a di year, him did have a seizure and drop inna di gully, but dem did call wi and wi guh tek him out," Prince explained, adding that, after their family realised Alvarenga was missing, they immediately sprang into action.

"Wi did know seh sumpn wrong because him nuh normally gone suh long. Suh, from Monday morning when we see seh him nuh come home, we start look fi him, and when we couldn't find him, dem go a station the Tuesday and mek report," Prince said. He added that Alvarenga's relatives were the ones who discovered his body.

"Yesterday (Wednesday) morning, we wake up early fi guh look fi him and one a we friend dem seh 'Come mek we guh dung [near the] sea guh look'. When we deh there, one man seh him see a body. But, when mi look, mi see him head white. Suh me did a seh anuh him," he said.

"But, when mi sister guh dung and look, she fell, and when him sister see him she faint weh. Suh mi realise seh a him fi true and we call police," Prince explained.