Jamaica: Boy from Port Antonio drowns at Blue Lagoon, netizens raise concern

Jamaica: A boy from Port Antonio visited the renowned Blue Lagoon with his friends and drowned after facing difficulty while swimming on Monday. The authorities have started the investigation on the matter and the body of the deceased was retrieved from the Alligator Head Foundation by divers.

The incident has raised safety concerns among the citizens as the Lagoon is the tourist hotspot of Jamaica which is one of the favourable locations for the locals as well. The public demanded proper safety measures from the authorities and stated that the actions must be taken for the safety of the citizens otherwise the location would lose its touch for tourism.

Concerns have also been raised against the operation of the police as people claimed that they arrived at the scene of the incident after a long time. Many also added that the police can’t do anything as people should ensure their safety by themselves.

Condolences have also been poured in on the family of the deceased and said that this is concerning.

One added,” What could the police do whether they were there early or not? Police are not lifeguards, and how long does a person take to be drowned? These young people just won’t heed warnings, and so they have to suffer the consequences.”

Some also stated,” Only the looks of that water makes me scared,I would just go where it reach me at my knees,it looks scary.”

Notably, this is the second drowning incident in a week within the parish as a second-year student of the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education drowned at one of the institution’s beaches last Tuesday. The incident also alarmed the public and criticized the government for safety concerns.

In this incident, Portland police confirmed the incident and did not provide any further details. However, the investigation into both matters has started. As per the reports, the condition of the beach water was choppy.

This is not the first time a drowning incident in Portland as a man was drowned in July 2022, which caused havoc among the citizens.

Several people also emphasized the need for observation of safety regulations as the incident of drowning was also recorded at the Blue Lagoon in Portland. Reports from the Port Antonio police stated that he drowned while facing difficulty during swimming.