Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

Relatives of an infant that went missing on Tuesday realised their worst fear when the body was found floating in the Rio Cobre yesterday.

Dead is Karissa Wallace, 23-month-old of Dam Head district, St Catherine.

Tears flowed freely at the scene in Eltham Vista where Karissa's body was found. There was a heated moment when the father of the deceased went into the water to retrieve the body.

"Unnu fi go help the man, mi can't believe is the father did affi go fi, it wicked man," a bystander said as the father Jonathan Wallace lifted the child's body from the river.

Wallace was showered with praise for his bravery of retrieving the body while fire and police personnel looked clueless.

"I just could not see my child's body floating and don't assist, it hurt so badly," Wallace, 49, said. Reports from the Spanish Town police are that on Tuesday the deceased was reported missing and an investigation launched.

The weekend Star was told that the investigation has now intensified to find if there was foul play involved.