Thursday, September 12, 2024

4 THE STAR NEWS • Thursday, September 12, 2024 @JamaicaStar www.facebook.com/JamaicaStar • www.jamaica-star.com SIMONE MORGAN-LINDO STAR Writer T he horrific screams of “Help” and images of Rahjaun Melbourne being carried away in a gully along Chesterfield Drive on Tuesday were vivid enough in the minds of three teenagers to keep them awake all night. Shamar Lloyd and Leka Reid, both 17, and Anthony Copeland, 18, went back into the gully early yesterday in search of the missing 18-year old Melbourne, who was washed away as he tried to render assistance to a drowning woman. Close to 10:30 a.m., after close to three hours of searching, the Majesty Gardens residents found Melbourne’s body which was partially hidden by debris. Wearing a sombre expression, Copeland explained how he watched as Melbourne was carried by the angry water. “Mi see the young man when him a wash away and mi feel it to mi heart. Him a try save di woman but him end up pass har and a come down. Him hold on to a big limb first, but a fridge come and lick him off, yuh zeet. Him spin and dip and come up back but him lick up him head on the bridge and him dip again,” he said. Copeland said he and his friends immediately started searching for Melbourne but there was no sight of him. “Mi never see him but if more a we did a search for him, we probably could save him. But other people a search for pigs. We a search fi di yute and dem a look for hog. We went down further because we know di gully good and know say him couldn’t pass certain part because it block up with big stone. We search but nah see him. Mi never go in until 5 o’clock this morning (Wednesday),” he said. Lloyd and Reid said the sound of Melbourne crying out for help as he was washed away will remain etched in their minds for a long time. After spending a portion of Tuesday night searching in vain for the youngster, they returned to the area first thing yesterday morning. “We couldn’t sleep yah man especially after we hear say him did a try help and get wash weh. We end up pass him and is Anthony who see a hand stick up and call we back. Him get a bicycle and ride go a the station go call the police and we and some other youth take him out of the water,” she said. “Dem say a bare wickedness gwan a Majesty Gardens but we help people down here. Mi feel a way to know say di youth lose him life a try help somebody. People search all after di police gone but still couldn’t find him. Mi feel a way because mi see him when him alive and now him dead. Is a life dat get take just suh and mi wouldn’t want dat to reach mi,” Reid chimed in. Teens regret not being able to save hero youth Police cordon off the area where the body of Rahjaun Melbourne, who died while trying to save a drowning woman, was found. A ntoine L odge Melbourne A ntoine L odge