Rhoden

Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

Tears welled up in Paulette Phillips' eyes yesterday as she spoke of her partner who got washed away in the Murray Gully in Llandeway, St Thomas, during the onslaught of Gustav on Thursday.

Devon Rhoden, 42, a mechanic of Baptist in Yallahs, St Thomas, has been missing since the day of the storm after trying to drive a vehicle across the Murray Gully.

A passenger in the vehicle, Egbert Harris, a 68-year-old returned resident and neighbour of Rhoden, was found dead around midday yesterday.

"Is him take care of us," said Phillips, who is unemployed, of her common-law husband.

Father of nine

Rhoden, a father of nine, the youngest of which is a year old, also leaves behind his mother. He has four siblings, two brothers and two sisters.

Phillips said the sole breadwinner of the family left home about 5 p.m. Thursday, saying he was accompanying Harris to a nearby community.

"When me no see him a come in a the night, me start to worry," said Phillips sniffling. "All me a call him phone before day, me no get through to him."

It was minutes past 10 a.m. yesterday when Phillips heard from a friend that they found the car he was driving in the Murray Gully, which usually overflows during heavy rains.

Conrad Rhoden, his brother, said the mechanic was a jovial person.

A neighbour described Rhoden as a "larger-than-life" man who loves fixing cars.

Conrad said that, early this morning, they would begin a search for the body.

"If it not raining, we going out there," said Rhoden.

The police tried to find Rhoden's body but the search was called off, with a hope to continue today if the weather permits.

Phillips said the assistance of the Jamaica Defence Force would aid in finding her partner's body.

The St Thomas police were yesterday trying to confirm residents' reports that a woman was also travelling in the vehicle.

shellyann.thompson@gleaner.com