Seat belts off and windows down. That’s the advice from rescuers to motorists who traverse areas surrounding the Bog Walk Gorge and Flat Bridge in St Catherine.

Five men from Kent Village, St Catherine, who were recognised for their contribution to the Rio Cobre Flood Early Warning System (RCFEWS) in 2019, are advising motorists to heed those two warnings. The men, who say they aren’t being paid for their services, have rescued many people from the Rio Cobre over the years.

The RCFEWS, which assists in the management of potential water-related disasters, was established by the Water Resources Authority (WRA), and was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) at a cost of $34 million. During the launch, a total of 15 community members received plaques for their contribution to the early warning system.

Oscar Fields, 55, told the Jamaica Observer that should there be an accident and motorists end up in the Rio Cobre, their chances of being recued are slim if their seat belts are fastened or if their windows are up.

“It harder fi get them out. If the person pinned down in the vehicle, it hard bad. People, from yuh touch the Gorge just take off the seat belt because anything can happen. When yuh pass, yuh can put on back yuh seat belt. Most a the time when yuh see a man dead ina Rio Cobre, a because we cyaa get him out. Him lock up ina the vehicle,” Fields said.

“Mi guh fi one girl and boy right a Pim Rock already and we get the girl outa the car quick. But when wi look, the boy lock stuck in the car with he seat belt. It hard fi try and pull seat belt under the water all the while.”

Fields told the Sunday Observer that quite often, rescuers have to be in the river trying to access motorists. That time, he added, could be used to pull them out immediately and save lives.

“We haffi kick out the windscreen. It easier fi do that, because the windows harder. But it depend pon how the car position in the water. There’s nothing else I can tell them. We can’t tell them jump out of the car because whether a person can swim or not, they have to have experience to manage the Rio Cobre. You can even jump out of the car and then the car drop pon yuh. You need the experience. The next thing, yuh cyaa too panic in the water. If yuh panic, the water will wash yuh weh.”

His son, 28-year-old Howard Fields, has followed in his footsteps, rescuing individuals over the years.

“If you don’t have on a seat belt, when wi go down inna the water, wi just a get yuh out which is the aim. Wi nuh haffi a lick nuh window or a try pull nuh seat belt. As wi guh in the water, wi just a take you out of the car. Further, we would love some equipment like some rope. More while, we are here and a car run off ina the river and by the time we reach, di people dem dead,” Junior Fields told the Sunday Observer.

“It difficult. If we go in the water and the person have on seat belt and the windows up, it even more difficult. It is a 90 per cent chance that they will die. Is just a 10 per cent chance dem have fi live… worse when the water rough,” he added.

Juniour Fields said in some instances, they are already operating with limited time, based on the where exactly in the Rio Cobre a motorist is trapped.

“We are a good distance away, so when we hear that something happen, wi afi run. A run wi run. A lot of times things gwan and the media don’t even know. More while wi deh-deh with people in the water through rain and storm, and helicopter haffi come and wi lift them out and carry them go Prison Oval ina the helicopter and then to hospital. We go through a lot of things.”

Another rescuer, 56-year-old Franklyn Williams, recalled having to swim away from individuals who were trapped in vehicles to try and find objects to break windows.

“Sometimes when the seat belt hold them down, it nah release no matter how we try. So, if yuh nuh have all a little knife or suh pon yuh fi cut it off, it hard fi get them out. People need fi take off them seat belt when them a go over Flat Bridge. If wi try the door and it is not opening, wi affi take all a stone and smash a window and get inside the vehicle fi help whoever inside. But dem things deh take more time. The time it would take fi a try find rock or anything to break the window, you coulda hurry up, go through and save somebody already,” Williams explained.

Anthony Young, 29, said he is still haunted by the death of a woman whom he had tried to save some years ago.

“I have been rescuing people 20-odd years now. I’ve been doing it from mi small. All through the gorge… from Bog Walk to Flat Bridge. From anything happen, we always try reach the spot as fast as possible. The most difficult one mi buck up pon was a lady and a gentleman. We ended up saving the gentleman, but the lady didn’t make it. The water did dirty and by the time seat belt fi fly and dem thing deh, she already passed on,” he said.

“The water was so dirty, we couldn’t see anything. Wi haffi a use wi foot and wi hand to feel for the vehicle. We have to feel for the handle of the vehicle and dem thing deh so we could get inside.”

Daniel Gayle, 28, reiterated the importance of motorists heeding their warnings.

“When you’re entering the gorge, the main thing you must do is get yuh windows down and get all seat belts off. If yuh seat belt on and the window up, it more likely fi yuh lose yuh life. We want all Jamaican people and all the visitors weh come ina wi country fi do these things. As yuh enter the gorge, wind down yuh window and take off the seat belt,” Gayle insisted.

Gayle further called for entities to donate equipment to rescuers so their efforts can be strengthened when needs be.

“We need some gear because it is risky for us when we are out there trying to save people. When we go in the water fi take out a person, if you don’t know what you’re doing, the person can drown yuh. We need someone to assist us so we can get some diving suits and some gear. We are out here volunteering. Nobody ever come back and give us any compensation which is fine because we are just doing our good,” he said.