As a result of the criminal investigation in the municipality of Mayarí as part of the investigation process related to the death of three adolescents due to the flooding of the Guaro River, the causes that led to the unfortunate event were determined.
The official investigation reports that a group of 17 citizens, including teenagers and young people, went to the river crossing in Guaro 5 on Sunday, May 30, to celebrate the birthday of one of them.
They accompanied the moment with the preparation of a "caldosa" and bathing in the river, just below the vehicular bridge located in the place.
At about half past two in the afternoon there was a light drizzle and at the stroke of four o'clock they decided to return to their homes. Up to that moment, the weather conditions were favorable in the area and they did not perceive any danger because the river showed the normal flow of its waters.
During interviews with witnesses of the unfortunate accident, it was learned that they crossed the bridge in small groups and were surprised by a sudden surge of water caused by a sudden rise in the river.
The direct impact was on four of the teenagers, who were swept away by the strong flood. Although several of their companions rushed to the rescue, the waters did not save the lives of three of them.
A little more than eight hundred meters downstream, at the site of the small reservoir known as La derivadora, two citizens who were fishing noticed the dragging of clothes, shoes and utensils, and were alerted to the impact of the flood on some of the young people.
Activated for the rescue, almost at five o'clock in the afternoon, they were able to locate the bodies of the victims.
A telephone call from the adolescents who were in Guaro Cinco led to the arrival of vehicles that urgently transported the bodies of the deceased to the Guaro polyclinic, where the other adolescents and young people were also treated.
After the rigorous analysis, the forensic doctor determined the causes of death, ruling, in that order, the following: asphyxia, water penetration in the respiratory tract and immersion in a swollen river.
The investigations also revealed the climatic consequences of the flooding of the Guaro river. According to the experts of the Nipe-Guaro Hydraulic Resources Base business unit in Mayarí, the rains registered in the different measuring stations, with areas that contribute to the current of the aforementioned river, show the concentration of rainfall in a little less than one hour and 30 minutes.
At the microwave station 19 mm were recorded, at Mina Pinares 16 mm, at the mountain research center 4.2 mm, at Güamuta 16.6 mm, and at Juan Piedra, the main source of the Guaro river, 38.2 mm, all in less than an hour and a half.
According to these data, the river rose 1.75 meters above the normal level, with a flow of 6 cubic meters per second, although given the characteristics of this stream, with steep slopes and a narrow channel, a higher water velocity is estimated.