Man swept away by floodwaters identified as Arima market worker

The man who was swept away by floodwater in Arima on Monday has been identified as 52-year-old Dexter Greaves.

His body was recovered on Tuesday nearly three kilometres away from where it is believed he fell into a drain near Carracciolo Ave, Lawrence Park on Monday.

Greaves was a worker at the Arima market.

His sister Marissa Greaves told Newsday she believes he was walking from work to his home in Carapo when the incident occurred.

CCTV footage showed him swept away by raging floodwater and attempting to grab onto a railing at the side of the drain as the muddy waters dragged him along.

Two men stopped their vehicle and attempted to rescue him, but he was forced below the water and under a nearby walkway before they could get to him.

The Hunters Search and Rescue Team, along with police and local government officials, mounted a search for him at 11 am on Tuesday.

They discovered his body almost two hours later, around 1 pm, tangled in the branches of a fallen tree at a bend in the Mausica River in Printeryville, O'Meara.

Arima Central councillor Sheldon Garcia said he intends to issue a call for railings to be installed alongside drains before anyone else loses their life.

“I have some drains in my area that need railings. I have been bringing it up for the past two years so I intend to push that agenda in (Thursday’s) local government committee meeting. That will be my main topic that I'll be bringing up. We can’t wait for another tragedy to happen to then start working on it.”