Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 19, 2012 News
– child rescued
Six people including three children perished at around 17:00 hrs yesterday in the Pomeroon River after a speedboat owned by the Region Two administration struck the vessel in which they were travelling.
Eyewitnesses said that the Region Two vessel, which was occupied by several regional officials, was heading out of Siriki, in the Upper Pomeroon, when it “rode over” a smaller boat, which then crashed into a large mangrove swamp.
Sources identified the dead as Velda Rodrigues, of Abrams Creek, Pomeroon; her 14-year-old son, Shawn Anthony; Rajkumar Singh, aged 14 and his 10-year-old sister, Amrita Smith; the boat captain, identified only as Harry, and a sixth person who remains unidentified. There are reports that a seventh passenger is missing.
All the victims are said to be related.
A little boy, who is so far unidentified, appears to be the lone survivor. He sustained lacerations to the head and was admitted to the Charity Hospital. He is listed as stable.
Rescuers retrieved the bodies from the wrecked boat at around 21:00 hrs after venturing far into the mangrove swamp into which the vessel had crashed.
None of the passengers in the boat owned by the regional administration were injured, but the captain has been detained. Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud was among the passengers.
A Region Two official said that the Chairman and staff assigned to the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme were returning from the Upper Pomeroon after distributing laptop computers when the tragedy occurred.
“They were coming out of the area. There was heavy rainfall and everyone was covered so no one saw what took place,” the official said.
But the source said that reports indicate that the boat owned by the region ‘rode over’ the smaller vessel, which was occupied by the captain and about seven passengers.
The damaged boat then veered out of control and crashed into a mangrove swamp.
A rescue team which included police ranks was dispatched to the area and eventually retrieved the bodies several hours later.
A large crowd gathered at Charity to witness the bodies being brought ashore before being transported to the Suddie Hospital mortuary.
Prior to this, the distraught mother of 14-year-old Rajkumar and 10-year-old Amrita had rushed to the area after learning of the tragedy.
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