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... But say financial support from gov't would put food on their tables.

Kingston, Jamacia - For many years, Ille Cole, his sister, Althea and their close friends Donna Williams and Chris Vassell have been saving lives.

And while they may not do so in the emergency room, the great personal risk they take every time they dive into the deep, murky Rio Cobre water to rescue drowning motorists, passengers or residents, is nothing short of heroic.

Divers Althea Cole (left) and her brother, Ille, assist Donna Williams adjust her life-vest by the Rio Cobre river recently. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)

This team of divers will readily tell you that every year, the risks and dangers of saving people increase, particularly around the hurricane season when the Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine (home to the infamous Flat Bridge) becomes the site for numerous bizarre accidents and near-death experiences for motorists.

Nevertheless, the four brave souls, who live in and around the Bog Walk community, have committed their lives to saving others, if and when the need arises. In recent times, they have been receiving ongoing training in swiftwater and flood rescue operations.

"I have a stall close to the Flat Bridge so if an accident takes place, I am always there, especially during the day. The team of us is very useful around the community" said Althea Cole, 44, who also does masonry and domestic work. "Ah long time mi ah do this kind of thing up here. When I was a little girl, about 16 or 17, I save a lady life. She went down to the river to catch water and nearly drown."

That was in 1979. These days, Cole says their days are coloured with more disastrous incidents, especially during the rainy season.

"When ah rainy season and the river come down, we walk with the cutlass and shovel to scrape away the debris so that the vehicle them can pass. It can be very dangerous around here and everybody know that," she told the Sunday Observer. "When the water is heavy, it is not safe. You will be in danger if you try to drive over the bridge. Even the other day, inna February, a car run off into the river and ah we have to help the driver before the water wash him weh. Sometimes because of disobedience, some drivers like to overtake and speed up for no reason and that cause accidents nuff times," she added.

Althea's younger brother, Ille, says he believes he has found his life purpose: rescuing folks from drowning. In October 1996, he was presented with a medal for gallantry from Governor General Sir Howard Cooke at King's House for rescuing a bus load of passengers after the vehicle in which they were travelling went into the river. The events of that fateful day are still fresh in his mind.

"I save a lot of people that day, man. I can't remember how much in all, but I remember that a lady from St Ann was on the bus and I remember the fright pon her face and how her eyes open out," Cole told the Sunday Observer. "I feel excellent after I do something like that because you know you doing something to help others. The four of us work as a team most times because you need people to hold the rope while somebody ah pull the victim from out ah di water," he explained.

Donna Williams, a short and dark-skinned 38-year-old, describes the work as risky and dangerous.

"The current in the water very strong and the water at the bottom cold like ice. Sometimes you can taste your own blood because of the pressure. It dangerous bad, man," said Williams, also a vendor and mother of six. "In March gone we had to come give assistance out here. Same thing on Labour Day and even Wednesday gone, somebody come call us that they see a body floating in the river. So, it's like a every day thing. You never know what going to happen."

In May 1995, Williams (who was nine-months pregnant at the time) witnessed a speeding cab, driven by a man later identified as Yuan Cole, went head-first into the deep water.

"Mi seh mi frighten so till. Mi swear seh him dead. Mi run lef' mi guinep pon di stall and even mi money fi guh save the man," she said, getting animated at the recollection. "Mi seh when mi draw him out ah di water, him tell me thanks about a million times. That day change mi life, fi real, trust me."

Like the Cole siblings, Williams says the feeling of self-satisfaction that comes with saving a life is immensely overwhelming.

"Mi feel real good, man, fi know seh mi ah help out mi fellow Jamaican people. Mi love life and would love to see another man live fi see another day. That's how you supposed to live," Williams said.

She said she also saved two nurses from drowning in 1994 and several young children during her teenage years. For her many other selfless efforts, including saving a male JUTC employee, whose Nissan motor car went over the bridge in September 2003, Williams was invited to appear on CVM TV's popular Susan talk show in 2004 to talk about her rescue work over the years - another life-changing moment for the evidently humble and hard-working woman.

In the meantime, the four brave 'saviours' told the Sunday Observer that while a few of the persons they have rescued over the years have come back to express gratitude, they say many others never paid the same courtesy. At the same time, they say back in the day they were paid $3,000 per life saved from the Ministry of National Security. But since they received individual cheques in July 2004, they have received no such financial 'compensation' for their life-endangering efforts.

"It's not that we want money fi save life, is just that the money would do we well because we ah nuh rich people and we have families to support." Ille Cole told the Sunday Observer.

Williams agrees, adding that, with the current economic state in the country, their stalls make very little money these days.
"We would love to get a little support to provide fi we family because this kind of work that we doing out here deserves more respect and appreciation. If we get some support things will be even better."

But their concerns nowadays also centre around the current state of the Flat Bridge and its environs.

"Ah long time the bush them want chop down because if we deh up the road and a accident happen, we can't see nothing at all. The bush them too tall. The authorities need fi come do something bout it because ah serious time now," said Althea.

Meanwhile, as the 2008 hurricane season deepens, they continue their regular training exercises in swiftriver and flood rescue operations with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the St Catherine Parish Disaster Committee, co-ordinated by Patricia Lewis.

"Their work is very important in our society today because they are helping tremendously with the saving of lives. We at the parish council provide them with equipment to help with their diving efforts and we have also collaborated with the ODPEM to provide them with formal training so they can be certified to protect both themselves and those they are rescuing," Lewis told the Sunday Observer in a recent phone interview. "We are very pleased with their efforts because these are persons who have volunteered their time. We are currently exploring the possibility of providing a stipend for them and as soon as the negotiations have been concluded, we hope to implement that system. We hope that happens shortly."

BY TYRONE S REID Sunday Observer staff reporter This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sunday, July 20, 2008
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20080719T140000-0500_138077_OBS_FLAT_BRIDGE_DIVERS_DON_T__WANT_MONEY_TO.asp