Mother’s Day culminated in tragedy in the municipality of San Martín, Cesar, where four young people, natives of the jurisdiction, drowned when they were surprised by a sudden flood in the Torcoroma ravine.
A group of ten young people decided to move to the upper part of the Sardinata ravine, which downstream, joining with the El Socorro ravine, forms the Turcoroma, a frequently visited place despite the restrictions in the area.
The walk turned into a tragedy, when the flood covered the group of boys, managing to take four of them and the other six were helped by peasants from the area, who with ropes helped them cross the ravine to safety.
The authorities were immediately notified, at approximately 5:00 p.m., managing to activate the search plan with the relief agencies, whose personnel reached, at 10:30 p.m., rescued the bodies of the brothers Yosep Julián and Víctor Manuel Pacheco Mantilla, 17 and 14 years old, respectively; and Llirwin Donaldy Estrada González, 18 years old.
Due to the darkness and the risk that the area represented, the rescue work was suspended until yesterday morning when the body of the fourth victim identified as Juan David Gómez Sánchez, 18, was located.
Leusman Guerra, mayor of the municipality of San Martín, reiterated that the young people would have gone to have fun in the upper part of the aqueduct intake, an area where bathing is prohibited, it is even removed from the municipal seat.
Since Sunday afternoon, the rescue work began with members of the Civil Defense, National Police and the Fire Department of the municipality of San Martín, a contingency plan was activated that allowed the location of the bodies, a fact that unfortunately has in mourning three homes in the town.
They are boys from the town, and this tragedy that fills the inhabitants of the municipality with sadness is unfortunate. “I call on the community to avoid moving to that dangerous area, where there are controls specifically at the intake, but unfortunately many people insist on organizing tours of the place,” he said.
Colonel Robin Mahecha, director of the Civil Defense, stated that the heavy rains that have been recorded in the last hours in the south of Cesar, caused the flood that surprised the young people. It is a very difficult situation that is being experienced in the municipality, therefore, I call on the community to be alert to emergencies that may arise due to rainfall and avoid bathing in the tributaries because it represents a serious danger, ”he assured. he.