Tragic joyride claims 17-y-o in Bog Walk Gorge

What began as a late-night trip turned into heartbreak just minutes before midnight on Monday, when 17-year-old Oshene Darby died after the vehicle he was driving plunged into the Rio Cobre along the Bog Walk Gorge.

Darby, who would have celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday, was reportedly on his way back to Kingston after taking a ride to Linstead with two friends when tragedy struck. Reports indicate that the Toyota Hiace minibus Darby was driving got out of control on the wet roadway and veered off into the river. The two teenage passengers managed to escape through an open window with assistance from fire personnel. Darby, however, was not so fortunate. He remained trapped inside the vehicle as it became submerged in the dark waters, and initial rescue efforts were hampered by poor visibility. Police say Darby was not licensed to drive and had reportedly taken the vehicle without his family's consent.

Among the first responders was 58-year-old Donna Williams, her son, and 62-year-old Althia Bull.

"When we reach we see police and firemen and the vehicle in the river sink down to the top. We saw the two teenagers and they say the driver was trapped inside the minivan," Williams told THE STAR. She recounted their desperate attempt to locate the teen.

"The water was dark and cold and we knew that if the driver was not inside the minivan, he was thrown out. We looked around inside the vehicle and there was no sign of the driver," she said. Williams explained that the conditions made it nearly impossible to continue searching during the night, so they returned yesterday when it was daylight.

Both Williams and Bull are experienced divers who have carried out rescue missions in the gorge for more than 30 years, making them familiar with the treacherous river. The Rio Cobre has claimed numerous lives over the years, and following the incident, long-standing folklore about a mermaid in the river resurfaced.

Williams said she had a chilling dream the night before the accident.

"I dreamt l was in the river with her (a mermaid) and she held me down. I struggled in my dream and begged her to spare me and she did, so I was expecting this. Whenever anyone of us divers dream see the mermaid, someone has to go," she said.

Frogmen from the Jamaica Defence Force visited the scene on Tuesday and recovered Darby's body after a relatively short search. Grief overwhelmed family members who gathered at the scene, many breaking down as the teen's fully clothed body was removed from the river. The body has since been taken to the morgue, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted.