Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 18, 2017 News
…as cutlass-wielding pirates attack fishing crew in C’tyne River
A 45-year-old fishing boat captain is now dead following a brazen attack by pirates armed with cutlasses on Tuesday evening.
Dead is Mahadeo Ramdehol also known as ‘Chico’, of 146 Kilcoy Squatting Area.
Reports reaching this publication indicate that the captain and his two crew members were dumped overboard by two masked pirates in the Corentyne River, after the attackers had stolen their boat engine and day’s catch. The two crew members managed to swim to safety, however the boat captain did not make it. His body was fished up at 16:10 hrs yesterday along the Rose Hall Foreshore
The men were attacked approximately a mile away from the Tain Foreshore.
Their boat was reportedly found along the Rose Hall Foreshore along with their fishing net. The men who attacked the fishermen were also on a small fishing boat.
One of the two men who swam to shore, 45-year-old Arjun Permaul, related the events leading up to the time they were rescued. The Kilcoy resident told Kaieteur News that it was about 18:30 hrs on Tuesday, and they had just retreated to the cabin of the boat after having dinner, when they heard an unusual noise coming from the exterior of the boat.
“The captain come out and stand up and den awe see dem man come and slam into we boat. Dem tell awe fuh down awe head (bend their heads) and tek off the lights”, Permaul recounted. He said that at that point in time, the men demanded that they remove the engine from their fishing boat and place it in their (pirates’) vessel along with the catch for the evening.
“Dem tek a cutlass and dem chop awe line wha does tie pon the seine (fishing net) den
dem tell awe jump in dem boat.”
The fisherman explained that after he, the other crew member and captain complied with their requests, the masked men sailed both vessels further up the river and set their boat Varuni L loose. It was then that the two men ordered them to jump overboard while threatening to chop and shoot them if they did not cooperate.
The other crew member, 21-year-old Parmanand Nandan also known as Vicky, of 103 Tain Scheme, related that they begged the men not to throw them overboard, “dem tell awe dat awe got to jump or dem go chop and shoot awe and me and da bai (Permaul) jump, and dem broadside the captain and drive more up and dump am overboard”.
The men stated that the pirates escaped with their 40 Horsepower Yamaha Engine while they tried to swim to shore. As they swam, the Captain (Ramdehol) complained of not feeling well and told them to swim further, and that he would slowly follow behind.
“Awe swim and keep calling fuh he (captain) and he answer three-four time and then he stop answer, when awe turn back awe na see am, so awe continue swimming till we reach a boat at Port Mourant, deh awe get rescue,” Nandan recounted.
According to the men, the waters were difficult to swim in but they managed to push ahead, unfortunately their Captain could not swim to shore.
At the home of the dead fisherman, relatives had gathered upon hearing the news of the incident. His wife, Chitrani Jaipersaud disclosed that she last saw her husband Tuesday morning when she got up to prepare breakfast. She stated that after cooking she left him sleeping, while she went off to work. Yesterday morning, while cooking, she received a call from the owner of the vessel, Permaul Samaroo, who told her that there had been an incident on the Corentyne waters and her husband had not returned, but his other two crew members had made it to shore. Jaipersaud stated that her husband had been in the fishing industry for the past seventeen years and they have two children together, ages eighteen and seventeen.
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