Tears in Matura as Tara Lochansingh’s body

Freelance Correspondent

Tears flowed on the banks of the Matura River yesterday morning as coast guard divers recovered the body of Tara Lochansingh, who drowned on Emancipation Day.

According to reports, around 4 pm on Friday, Lochansingh had been liming at the river with relatives, including her five-year-old granddaughter, Aria Lochansingh, when the water suddenly rose. Both were swept away by strong currents. Aria was rescued by relatives, first responders, and good Samaritans. But Lochansingh was not so lucky.

Grief gripped the community as, around 11.15 am yesterday, divers pulled Lochansingh’s body from a deep pool in the river, nearly a day after she disappeared.

Family, friends, and villagers looked on in anguish. The search had drawn national attention, with police managing traffic in the area as people gathered in hope and sorrow.

Later that day, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service confirmed the body was that of 47-year-old Lochansingh of Calli Street, Madras Road, St Helena.

As Lochansingh’s lifeless body was pulled from the river, family members wept uncontrollably. Though they knew she had drowned, seeing her in that state made it difficult for them to be consoled.

Lochansingh’s body could not be located despite initial search efforts by officers of the Matura Police Post, the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS), the Hunters Search and Rescue Team led by Shamsudeen Ayube, and the TTPS’ Air Support Unit (ASU) led by Inspector Ronny Rampallard, who deployed drone technology for searches along the river and surrounding forested areas.

Search operations resumed early yesterday, and they were joined by the municipal police from the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation.

As the clock ticked towards midday, coast guard divers located the body of Lochansingh submerged in the river, south of the Matura Bridge on Toco Road. With assistance from TTFS, the body was retrieved to the riverbank.

Her body was positively identified by her husband, Rajesh Lochansingh, and her son, Brandon Lochansingh, based on facial features, clothing, jewelry, and a tattoo.

The District Medical Officer viewed the body and ordered it to be removed to the Sangre Grande Hospital mortuary pending an autopsy.

Shortly after the discovery, the son posted to his Facebook page, “Mummy, I’m lost for words right about now. I can’t come to terms with this. It hurts so much that I am lost. I love you to the moon and back. Thank you for supporting me through my life. Never know this day would have come. I miss you dearly, Mummy, please come back. I know you will be my angel in heaven, watching down on me and my little family. I love you, mummy, rest in eternal peace.”

One of her relatives told the Sunday Guardian, “Tara was the heartbeat of the family. She was always the jolly one to make everybody happy, smile, and laugh. She liked to be outgoing. Something like this happening is a tragedy to our family because it is something not expected. It is an unexpected death, and we are all saddened by what is happening. It has already happened, and we have to try and face reality.”

Her brother-in-law, who did not want to give his name, said they were in Debe when they received the news that Lochansingh had drowned, and they immediately returned home. They also joined the search for her yesterday morning. Although she is dead, they were glad the body was found to bring some form of closure to the family.

“All of us will deeply miss her because she was really a jolly, happy and outgoing person,” he added.

Ayube said, “We were moving out the rubble, the bamboo, which we believe she went under, because since yesterday we were removing that bamboo. A short while this morning, around 11 o’clock, the coast guard come and tell us to come out the water, and they started diving, and they saw the body below the bamboo patch.”

In extending condolences to the family, the TTPS thanked all the agencies and volunteers who assisted in the search and recovery efforts.

While investigations into the incident are continuing, Inspector Rampallard is urging members of the public to be extremely cautious when recreating at rivers and beaches, especially as conditions can drastically change with the slightest amount of rainfall.