Body found floating off NP Jetty

The body of a socially displaced man was found floating in the Gulf of Paria, just off the jetty at National Petroleum (NP), on Wednesday.

RHONDOR DOWLAT-ROSTANT

The body of a socially displaced man was found floating in the Gulf of Paria, just off the jetty at National Petroleum (NP), on Wednesday.

Police said the man was known to be living in the East Dry River and is believed to have been washed away and subsequently drowned due to swollen river that raged with flood waters on Tuesday.

Police said at about 2:45 pm, a captain of a vessel at the National Petroleum (NP) Jetty called the police and told them of his sighting.

Acting Sgt Rampersad and PC Rosado responded to the report and spoke with the captain.

The captain told the officers that at about 2:15 pm, he was piloting a vessel near the Jetty when he saw the body of a man floating face down in the water.

A team of Coast Guard officers also responded and were able to fish-out the body.  They reportedly placed it onto the Sea Lots Jetty because the NP Jetty was deemed unsafe at that time as a vessel was offloading fuel.

The body was pronounced dead by a District Medical Officer.

Police said an autopsy is expected to be performed on the body after a positive identification is made.

Police officers noted, however, that the people they interviewed on the scene said they knew the elderly man to be socially displaced and living in the East Dry River in Port-of-Spain. However, no birth name or alias was given.

Investigations are ongoing.