Man suspected of drowning in Alligator Pond

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A man is suspected to have drowned in Alligator Pond, south Manchester on Saturday. Police identified him as Simon Newman, a resident of Downs near the Manchester/ St Elizabeth border. Preliminary reports are that about 4:00 pm Newman was swimming in a river when he got into difficulty and went underwater. His body was later removed from the river. Police were called and he was pronounced dead at hospital. The area, known as River, has been the scene of numerous drowning incidents over the years, especially on holidays. In August 2023, two people drowned at the location. A local community hero, who saved people from drowning at the same location, also drowned upstream in the river in Alligator Pond, a week after rescuing several people. READ: Alligator Pond warning READ: Alligator Pond hero found dead in river A police source said in January 2025 Newman’s twin brother was one of two people who died in a crash on the Buttup main road in south Manchester. READ: Two motorcyclists killed in head-on collision in Manchester — Kasey Williams