A post-mortem examination has determined that heart failure caused the death of 66-year-old Venezuelan diver Luis Avilio Sarmiento Martinez during an operation to refloat the MV Barima.
Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh conducted the examination on Wednesday, November 4, at Memorial Gardens Funeral Parlour. The Guyana Police Force’s Corporate Communications Unit only provided the details of the PME after being asked about it over a week ago.
Nevertheless, Martinez’s 30-year-old son identified his body, which was later handed over to relatives for burial.
Martinez, who worked with BK International, died after failing to resurface during diving operations about 10 nautical miles off Anna Regina on October 28, according to the Guyana Police Force.
Police said he entered the water to assist with refloating the vessel but had not surfaced after about 20 minutes. Crew members pulled him from the water using a rope attached to his body.
He was taken to the Transport and Harbours Department wharf in Georgetown, where a doctor pronounced him dead early the following morning.
