Falls claims lives of three from Czech Republic

Tragedy struck at the Trinity Falls on Tuesday afternoon claiming the lives of three Czech Republic nationals visiting this country.{{more}}

Dead are Marie Kroupova, a 71-year-old woman, her husband Petr Coropa, 70, and Captain of the “Tequila”, the yacht on which they sailed to St.Vincent, 62-year-old Oldrich Mazurek.

SEARCHLIGHT understands that the visitors were a part of a 10-member team that arrived in the country the day before

they died.

The Police Public Relations Department (PPRD) in a press statement on Wednesday, June 30, noted that the police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the drowning which occurred about 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at the popular recreation site in North Leeward.

The police said they received information that the visitors arrived in the country aboard a yacht called “Tequila”, which was anchored at Cumberland Bay.

The party is said to have gone to the Trinity Falls for a swim, when Kroupova reportedly encountered difficulties while in the water.

According to the police, the other two deceased went to her assistance and all three subsequently drowned.

Area Representative for North Leeward, Dr Jerrol Thompson, is said to have swapped his suit for a t-shirt and short pants provided by a constituent before dashing into the raging Trinity Falls waters to assist in retrieving the bodies.

On Wednesday morning, SEARCHLIGHT contacted Thompson for a response to the previous day’s mishap.

Thompson, who is a medical doctor by profession, said that he was at the graduation ceremony of the Petit Bordel Secondary School and had plans of visiting a few patients at the Chateaubelair Hospital.

While at the graduation, he said he received news of the tragedy from the tour party that took the visitors there.

Thompson said he went to the nearby Chateaubelair Police Station where he joined the second batch of police officers who were about to journey up to the trail.

He said when he arrived at the Trinity Falls, he “surveyed the situation and saw that there were three bodies.”

A Searchlight photographer who captured the afternoon’s tragedy disclosed that Thompson braved the rushing waters and joined a few constituents in assisting to retrieve the bodies.

But in the interview with SEARCHLIGHT, Thompson modestly said: “I examined and pronounced the three individuals dead.

“On my examination, there was no longer a necessity to offer CPR. It was a matter of pronouncing the individuals dead on the scene. However, if there was a need for CPR, I certainly would have been able to offer that particular service,” said Thompson.

Thompson confirmed that efforts were made to bring the bodies to the land even though there were rushing waters from what appeared to be a flash flood. He said this was done to prevent the bodies from being washed away.

“I feel deeply saddened. I think it is extremely unfortunate, whether it is at Rawacou, or it’s at Owia, or whether it’s a fisherman lost at sea, whatever.

“These things are very unfortunate and we essentially will have to see what additional safety measures we will be able to put in place,” said Thompson.

The bodies were later taken to the Kingstown Mortuary.

The Trinity Falls recreation site had been closed to visitors since Monday, June 28, because of landslides in the area. Public service announcements to this effect had been broadcast on radio.

A tourism official informed SEARCHLIGHT late on Wednesday that a decision has also been taken to close the Falls of Baliene until the end of the rainy season.