The body of nine-year-old Majeed Rasheeda was found on Sunday morning after being swept away by the Aripo River on Saturday.
Majeed went missing on Saturday morning while visiting the river with his family. According to reports, he was in the waters of the river when a surge of water developed around 11:45 AM on Saturday as a result of heavy rainfall in the area. Majeed was pulled downstream, and while relatives attempted to rescue Majeed, they were unable to reach him.
Relatives made a report to the Cumuto Police Station. Officers from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s Northern Division, Air Support Unit, Santa Cruz Land, Search and Rescue Team, as well as the Hunters Search and Rescue Team led by Captain Vallence Rambharath, participated in the search.
Heavy showers and thunderstorms moved across the country associated with Tropical Wave 35, then Invest 90L, a tropical disturbance north of T&T. A nearby weather station located in the adjacent Arima Valley at the Simla Field Research Station recorded 54.9 millimeters of rainfall between 11:10 AM and 1:10 PM on Saturday.
Heavy rainfall in hilly areas can lead to rapid rises with little to no warning downstream, which could be dry. Further downstream, closer to the Caroni River, one of the streamflow gauges for the Aripo River showed a rise in the river level by Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately, this death at the Aripo River can be classed as one of Invest 90L’s indirect deaths. According to the World Meteorological Organization and the National Hurricane Center, “An indirect death refers to other fatalities that would not be expected to occur in the absence of the storm. Examples include heart attacks, vehicle accidents, and falls from a roof or ladder.”
On Saturday, before the Adverse Weather Alert went into effect for the country, heavy rainfall swept across parts of Trinidad and Tobago, causing flooding across several areas of southern, western, and northern Trinidad, where rainfall accumulations ranged from 1 to 4 inches (25 to 100 millimeters).
Landslides were also reported in Tobago, with fallen trees on the North Coast Road of Trinidad. One vehicle also plunged off a precipice during heavy rainfall at Shangie Hill, Goodwood, where the sole occupant was injured and taken to hospital, according to the Tobago Emergency Management Agency.
