An autopsy scheduled to be done on the body of seven-year-old Jordell Jones had to be postponed yesterday after police officers arrived late at the San Fernando mortuary.
Jones’s father, Dexter, said the autopsy was carded to be done at 9 am at the mortuary. However, he said, police officers from the Gran Couva Police Station arrived after 9 am.
His son drowned in the Coorsal River on Sunday after slipping off a concrete pathway.
“When we got there, they told us that it was too late to do the autopsy and it will be done today,” he said. He said that funeral arrangements have been tentatively carded for 3 pm tomorrow, Wednesday, at the Gran Couva RC Church.
Dexter said he could not sleep on Sunday night. His wife, Josanne Simmons, said her younger son, Joshua, who saw when Jordell fell into the river, was traumatised.
“He taking it on a lot because he was with him when it happened,” Simmons said.
While Dexter said he could not sleep since the incident, he did not think his family required counselling. Jones, a Standard One pupil of Gran Couva RC School, drowned around 1.45 pm after he slipped off a concrete pathway at the Coorsal River and fell into a deep pool of water.
Simmons said she was watching her children laughing and running when Jones slipped off the river bed.
His body was pulled out of the water by Christian Brown who lives close by. Brown said it was the first time that anyone had drowned in the river.
He said the pool was about nine feet deep and it appeared that Jones got stuck in the slush after he fell in.
Gran Couva police are continuing investigations.