Petrina Francis, Gleaner Writer
NORMAN GRINDLEY, Staff Photographer -
Motorists drive cautiously along a section of the roadway in the Bog Walk gorge in St. Catherine that was extensively damaged by heavy flood waters on Thursday.
TRAFFIC BACKED up in the Bog Walk gorge in St. Catherine yesterday while divers worked feverishly to remove the two remaining vehicles that were washed into the Rio Cobre by flood waters on Thursday.
When a Gleaner news team visited the gorge, divers were seen trying to remove debris from the final vehicle, a Toyota Hiace mini bus, but were having problems getting it out of the water.
Devon Harriot, one of the divers, said that four of the vehicles were taken out of the water last night but they were unable to remove the remaining two because they were submerged.
"It's rough (trying to get the vehicles out of the water)," he explained. "It's one of the hardest things to do."
Meanwhile, Inspector Patrick Murdock, sub-officer in charge of traffic in the St. Catherine North police division, is imploring all motorists to use the alternative route through Barry.
He said the road still had a lot of debris that needs to be cleared, and a section of the road that had been eroded by the river was cause for concern.
However, despite warnings to use the alternative route, scores of motorists were still seen driving through the gorge.
On Thursday, 19 persons had to be rescued from the gorge by members of the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing, using helicopters, after their vehicles were washed away by heavy flood waters.
