A river mishap near Buckhall Landing in the Essequibo River has claimed the life of a 38-year-old pork-knocker.
Dead is Andrew Christopher Bradford, called “Chris,” of De William, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and Caria Caria, Essequibo River.
According to police, the incident occurred at about 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Initial investigations revealed that a speedboat, operated by a 41-year-old captain of Springfield, Essequibo Coast, was travelling in the vicinity of Buckhall Landing with five passengers when it reportedly collided with a small wooden boat being operated by Bradford.
Police said the impact caused the wooden boat to capsize, throwing Bradford into the river. Search efforts were launched immediately after the collision, but the man was not found that night.
Further searches were carried out on Sunday morning by police ranks, members of the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, and relatives of the deceased.
At about 11:48 a.m., Bradford’s motionless body was recovered from the river. He was taken to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where a doctor on duty pronounced him dead on arrival.
The body is at the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination. Police said the speedboat operator remains in custody, assisting with the investigation.
