The regional athletics community is reeling from the sudden, tragic passing of 31-year-old Shirnell Ettienne, a decorated Trinidad and Tobago national track and field athlete, who died Monday after the vehicle she was riding in veered off a Jamaican roadway and crashed into the Wag Water River.
Ettienne, a native of Point Fortin who represented her home country at dozens of national and regional competitions over her career, was a passenger in a westbound Toyota Corolla Altis traveling along St Mary’s Agualta Vale main road near Wag Water Bridge when the driver lost control navigating a left-hand curve, according to a public statement from local sports outlet TTgameplan. The car careened off the pavement and plunged into the rushing river below.
Initial rescue accounts confirm that all four people inside the vehicle were able to escape the sinking car before it was fully submerged. But as Ettienne attempted to climb to the riverbank to safety, she slipped on wet terrain and was swept away by the river’s strong, fast-moving current. A local resident later recovered her body, which was transported to Annotto Bay Hospital, where she was officially pronounced dead. The three other passengers in the car sustained only minor injuries, received on-site medical care, and have since been released from treatment.
A decorated middle-distance and relay athlete, Ettienne got her start in track with the Point Fortin New Jets youth club before going on to compete for UTT Fast Track at the collegiate and senior levels. She earned her place in Trinidad and Tobago athletics history at the 2014 CARIFTA Games hosted in Martinique, where she claimed a silver medal as part of the Girls Under-20 4x400m relay team. Running alongside teammates Ayoka Cummings, Tsai-Anne Joseph and Zakiya Denoon, the team posted a finishing time of 3:46.11 to take second place. Ettienne also competed individually at the same games, placing seventh in the 400m with a time of 58.10.
Her domestic career was marked by consistent success as well: in 2012, she took home bronze in the Girls’ Under-18 400m at the NAAA Junior Championships with a time of 58.21, and also competed in the senior women’s 200m event that same year. Over the course of her career, she competed in competitions ranging from the Southern Games to the NAAA Cross Country Championships, demonstrating impressive versatility across sprint, middle-distance, and cross country events.
News of Ettienne’s unexpected death sent immediate shockwaves through Trinidad and Tobago’s tight-knit sporting community, with fellow athletes, governing bodies, fans, and residents of her hometown flooding social media with tributes and messages of condolence. Countless commentators remembered Ettienne for her relentless dedication to the sport, her landmark achievements, and the unwavering pride she brought to representing Trinidad and Tobago on every stage she competed.
“To know Shirnell Ettienne was to know laughter,” a close friend shared in a public tribute. “Her presence could light up a room, and her laughter was something you could never forget. She had a way of making people smile and creating memories that will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. It hurts knowing we have to say goodbye, but we will forever cherish the beautiful memories she left behind. Rest peacefully, beautiful soul. You will truly be missed.”
Ettienne is survived by her young daughter, who close family sources say has already expressed a desire to follow in her mother’s footsteps and pursue a career in athletics.