A young woman has died, and two others, including a policeman, remain missing following a tragic swimming incident in Portmore, St. Catherine. The woman, 24-year-old Alia Dawkins, was admitted to Spanish Town Hospital after being rescued from Sand Hills Beach in Hellshire on Thursday.
While at the beach, Dawkins was swimming in the sea alongside a 12-year-old boy when the day took a tragic turn. According to police reports, the incident unfolded around 3:00 p.m. on January 1, 2026. Dawkins and the child, Aaron Russell, a student from Waterford, Portmore, were swimming when they encountered difficulties in the water.
A member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Constable Shamar Grant, became aware of their distress and rushed into the water to help. Reports say that the constable from the St. Catherine South Police Division was on leave from duty at the time.
During the rescue effort, Grant himself got into trouble and disappeared beneath the water. While Dawkins was eventually pulled from the sea by rescuers and rushed to the hospital, both Grant and Russell failed to resurface.
Police said Dawkins passed away while receiving treatment. Meanwhile, a police constable and the boy involved in the ordeal have not been located and are feared drowned.
Following the incident, police were alerted and responded to the scene. A search operation was launched involving personnel on the ground, with reported assistance from the Marine Division. The operation continued into the evening and apparently into Friday as authorities worked to locate the missing constable and child.
The officials are now conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officials have not yet provided details on sea conditions at the time or how long the search will continue.
The Hellshire tragedy follows closely on another drowning incident that unfolded just days after Christmas. On December 30, six-year-old Josia Lewis died after getting into difficulty while swimming at the Caymanas Mineral Spa.
The child, a Tivoli Gardens resident and Alpha Primary School student, disappeared beneath the water around mid-afternoon. Despite frantic efforts by nearby swimmers and attempts at resuscitation after he was pulled from the water, Josia was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police are also investigating that incident.