Petrotrin employees are now searching for the body of Curtis Pierre, after he is believed to have jumped into a 120-foot oil tank at Trinmar's Tank Farm in Point Fortin and disappeared last night.
This after counsellors from Petrotrin's Employee Assistance Programme spent nine hours trying to dissuade the 43-year-old father from jumping off the oil tank last night.
Pierre, who lived in an unoccupied house in the Housing Development Authority's La Fortune community, is believed to have entered a vent hatch atop the tank around 8 pm, containing approximately 65,000 barrel of condensate oil, after gaining access to the compound around 11 am yesterday.
The tank is being emptied this morning to confirm whether Pierre entered. However, Petrotrin's corporate communications manager Gillian Friday says this process could take a few days to complete. She said an investigation has also been launched into the incident and Pierre's family has been notified.
According to reports, Pierre scaled a fence at Trinmar's Tank Farm along Reid Road shortly after 11 am yesterday. He climbed onto the stairway leading to the top of the #7 wash tank and threatened to jump. His family and former wife were at the facility trying to persuade him to go home with them, but according to police he only made a request for food. Friday said Pierre was not an employee of the company, adding that officials responded with as much precaution as the situation would allow.
"The company's EAP counsellors, as well as security, fire and medical services, along with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service, were all on site. Petrotrin, along with the national authorities, combined their efforts to persuade the man to climb down to his safety. "Unfortunately, at around 8 pm it was observed that the man was no longer visible on the tank. It is presumed that he may have opted to go into the tank, which is currently filled with oil," Friday said.