The Bog Walk gorge in St. Catherine is infamous for its ancient Flat Bridge which has weathered the flood waters of the Rio Cobre for centuries. The dangers of flooding in the gorge made news in recent weeks from the heavy rains that fell in the wake of Hurricane Dean in late August.

For all those years during flood rains, vehicles have plunged into the swollen river and lives have been lost. As far as we are aware, there is no precise count of the deadly toll; though correspondents to this newspaper have offered solutions ranging from abandonment of what is a vital roadway to the north coast, to an engineering viewpoint suggesting that the road levels and the bridge itself need to be raised.

Amid the recurrent mini-disasters that happen when the bridge and roadway in the vicinity are flooded, some residents in the area strive to rescue the victims. Last week decades of such unsung heroism got recognition from the St. Catherine Parish Council at its regular monthly meeting.

This was mentioned in an item last Saturday in our Across the Nation feature, but the names of the rescuers were inadvertently omitted. Hailed by the council as heroes were three women and a man Cole and her brother Eric Cole; Christie Vassell, and Donna Williams. All four are vendors who sell fruits and other items to passing motorists. As residents amid the lush vegetation of the gorge, they actually go on voluntary patrols when the flood rains start to fall; and they have been rescuing many persons from the time they were teens, they told our correspondent. Their selfless heroism is all the more remarkable when we consider the ease with which others exploit the misery of trapped motorists elsewhere, either by demanding payment for help or deliberately placing obstacles to slow the movements of drivers and then to engage in extortion.

As Saturday's news item stated, their activity had been noted eventually and formal training given them by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). Hence the council presented some $80,000 worth of diving equipment for them to continue their rescue operations.

This, of course, is practical recognition offered by ODPEM in an area where their own expertise is supposed to be available to the general public when disaster strikes.

The action of the council is fitting in the circumstances. But it should not be forgotten that the larger prospect of th route to the north coast is still urgent. The frequent closures of the gorge when the Flat Bridge becomes impassable must have economic consequences as well as the dangers posed to delinquent motorists who recklessly challenge the flood waters.

Our salute is to the innate spirit of voluntarism that has inspired these four humble St. Catherine heroes. Their diving equipment should offer personal safety, but should soon become redundant mementoes of their public-spirited heroism.