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REPAIRED: A day after a woman died after crashing into the Debe bridge with her car then plunging into the Oropouche River, the damaged railings on the right of the bridge were fully repaired as can be seen in this image taken on Wednesday.- Photo by Rishard Khan An autopsy on accident victim Kalisa Danclair, whose car plunged into the South Oropouche River in Debe on Monday night, confirmed that she did not die from injuries caused by the crash itself.
The autopsy, done at the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital on July 30, revealed the 29-year-old woman died from asphyxiation due to drowning.
Danclair of Daisey Voisin Street in Siparia, worked as a store manager at HADCO Ltd.
The tragedy occurred around 9 pm on July 28 at the Debe Trace bridge while she was going home from work.
Reports indicate that she was driving her silver Toyota Axio along the narrow bridge when the car struck the steel railings and plunged into the river below.
Among the first to attempt a rescue was a 23-year-old Venezuelan woman who heard the crash from her home. She immediately jumped into the cold water but was unable to save Danclair.
Other villagers and members of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team led by Vallence Rambharat, also joined the effort. The villagers flagged down the driver of a wrecker to try to retrieve the car, but were unsuccessful.
On the night of July 29, Debe South councillor Khemraj Seecharan posted on Facebook that the damaged railing had been restored.
DROWNED: Kalisa Danclair.
He also mentioned that discussions were ongoing with Oropouche West MP Dr Lackram Bodoe and Works and Infrastructure Minister, Jearlean John, to find a solution for using the nearby unused highway bridge.
"I will continue to advocate on your behalf," the post read, urging drivers to be cautious and courteous when using the narrow bridge.
On July 30, Seecharan told Newsday that workers completed the reinstallation around 9 pm on July 29.
"We had a little hiccup earlier in the day where we had to stop work temporarily because of traffic. We restarted around 7 pm and completed just around 9 pm. The bridge is a bit narrow but is once again functional," he said.
Seecharan emphasised that he is working with the MP and minister to find a permanent solution.
"We are exploring a few options. The nearby highway bridge is one. We are also looking into whether funding can be secured to repair that bridge. A Bailey bridge is another option," he said.
"Nothing is definite at this point, but the ministry has confirmed it will work closely with us to find a solution."
Funeral arrangements for Danclair are ongoing.
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