ON YAM SEARCH, MAN COMES INTO CONTACT WITH HIGH VOLTAGE WIRE
PORT MARIA, St Mary; Jan 25, 2026
A man from Mango Valley, St Mary, was electrocuted on Wednesday, January 21, when he came into contact with a high-voltage JPS line in the community.
(Horace Gray, aka Winty)
Dead is 38-year-old Horace Gray also called Winty, a farmer and mason of Mango Valley. Gray celebrated his 38th birthday just over two weeks earlier, on January 3.
Oswald Anderson, his eldest brother, told the North Coast Times that Winty and six other men went on what was an annual search for yams on a property at Warry Castle, between Mango Valley and Fellowship Hall. This is a fun event in the community each year. Mr Anderson said he was told that Winty came upon a particular yam vine and as he mounted the hillside in the wild, was tracing it back to the yam hill when his head came into contact with a 69,000 KV line. He said one of the men contemplated trying to beat Winty off the line, but was prevented by the others, who were all shocked by the turn of events.
(Horace Gray)
He said, “He [Winty] was well loved by the community. He was helpful and resilient to everyone, from old to suckling.”
Mr Anderson told The North Coast Times that he was at a grave-digging event in St Catherine when he got the sad news of his brother’s demise. He said the police and JPS were contacted. Mr Anderson said the JPS had sent a senior employee who had spoken to some of Mr Gray’s brothers and also looked at the area where the wires ran.
The St Mary police confirmed the death was reported to them.
