NEW YEAR TRAGEDY
Grief grips family as young woman dies, brother and policeman missing after being swept out to sea
Published:Sunday | January 4, 2026 | 12:10 AMRuddy Mathison - Sunday Gleaner Writer
A New Year’s Day outing to the beach ended in tragedy for a Portmore family after a young woman, her teenage brother, and a policeman who was a family friend were swept away by strong currents at Sandhill Beach in Hellshire, St Catherine.
Twenty-four-year-old Aylia Dawkins of Waterford, Portmore, died after being rescued from the sea and taken to hospital. Her 13-year-old brother, Arron Russell, and Constable Shamar Grant, who was attached to the Greater Portmore Police Station, remain missing and have been presumed drowned.
Dawkins was taken from the water in an unconscious state and rushed to the Spanish Town Hospital, where she was pronounced dead while undergoing treatment.
Despite an extensive search launched by the Marine Police and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), there was no sign of Russell or Grant up to press time.
The harrowing events were recounted by Nejuma Kerr, sister of Dawkins and Russell, who was also on the trip along with their younger sister.
Kerr, who narrowly escaped being swept away herself, said her ability to swim saved her life.
Speaking with The Sunday Gleaner, she explained that the group had initially planned to go to Hellshire Beach but changed their destination because it was crowded, opting instead for the nearby and more secluded Sandhill fishing beach.
“I can swim, so the first thing I always do when I go to the beach is test the water to determine the depth,” Kerr said, revealing that she was taught to swim as a student at St Andrew High School for Girls.
“Water was deep
and rough”
She continued, “So I was testing the water when it dipped me. I held up my hands and Grant pulled me from the water, and I said to everyone that the water was deep and rough so don’t go beyond a certain point.”
According to Kerr, just minutes later, her brother got into difficulty while in the water.
“He wasn’t saying anything, just waving and going down and coming up, and Grant realised that he was struggling and went into the water to offer help,” she disclosed.
Kerr said she then saw Grant also begin to struggle.
“Grant also got into difficulties and started shouting, ‘Help!’, so I went in to assist him but realised that I couldn’t save him.”
In a desperate attempt to prevent the situation from worsening, she called to her sister Aylia.
“I then called out to my sister, who was close by, to hold out her hand, and she made a step towards me and the wave took her and all four of us were swept far out into the ocean,” Kerr shared.
She said panic followed as the waves continued to batter the group. At this point, everyone around her was screaming, and she told them to keep their heads up while she managed to struggle with the current for a few minutes before she was able to get to the shore.
Exhausted and unable to return to the water, Kerr sought help.
“I looked back and saw four hands in the water, but being weak and tired, I couldn’t do anything but seek help, so I called 119 and a fisherman who was in the area gave the police our location.” she said.
Dawkins was later found not far from where she had been taken by the waves.
“It was hard watching them being taken away by the current, and I couldn’t do anything to help them. My own survival was due to my ability to swim. My mother is devastated, but I had to remain strong. I try not to cry in front of her, but it’s very hard for us right now,” Kerr said.
Family’s grief was palpable
The family’s grief was palpable when police officials visited their Waterford home on Friday.
Cornelia Kumble, the mother of Dawkins and Russell, was inconsolable as she received the police team that included Assistant Commissioner of Police for Area Five Christopher Phillips and Senior Superintendent of Police for Operations in Area Five Tommylee Chambers.
The officers also confirmed that Russell and Grant were still missing.
Phillips disclosed that both Dawkins and Kerr had enlisted in the Jamaica Constabulary Force and were awaiting acceptance.
Waterford Councillor Fenley Douglas said that the entire community was mourning.
“We are in shock. We are in disbelief to hear this news. While the police were searching for the victims, we were hopeful, but ... [with] no positive news, we are fearing the worst, but I am hoping that some closure will come to the families,” he said.
Douglas said that the section of Sandhill Beach where the incident occurred has long been declared a prohibited area for swimming by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), with warning signs erected to alert beachgoers. However, Kerr told The Sunday Gleaner that she was unaware that the area had been designated unsafe for swimming.
Neighbour Keith Atkinson described the family as well known and respected in the area.
“I knew the family for more than 20 years. The children are well-behaved and respectful to neighbours and elders. I saw Arron on Thursday morning, and he said good morning and wished me ‘Happy New Year’. The entire community is in a state of shock right now,” Atkinson said.
As the search continues, senior superintendent in charge of the St Catherine South Police Division Leighton Gray told The Sunday Gleaner that he remained optimistic that Russell and Grant would be located.