An outing at the Coomacka Mines Beach in Linden, Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), turned deadly on Tuesday when a 13-year-old boy drowned.
He has been identified as Hassini Mack of Wisroc New Housing Scheme, Linden, and he had been a student of the Mackenzie High School.
The child, along with his two younger siblings and some family friends, including a Canadian national, an American national and two other children, had gone to the beach at around 14:00hrs on the day in question. Police Headquarters explained that, while swimming, this 13-year-old and one of the other children, a 14-year-old, proceeded to the edge of the water to “wash off”.
Hassini Mack
Police explained that as these two children began to walk towards the centre of the river, the water started to flow at a fast rate, causing Mack to go under. As they began to shout for help, the 29-year-old Canadian national rushed to their assistance and managed to rescue the 14-year-old.
The man attempted to rescue the 13-year-old Mack, but by that time he had already disappeared. Up to press time, his body had not been found.
Hassini Mack’s mother, Cerenze Sobers, explained that her family had formed a bond with the Canadian and American couple over the past five years, after they had met at an Islamic camp. Speaking with this publication on Wednesday, she explained that the couple often took her sons on trips. The outing at the Coomacka Mines Beach was one such outing.
“They were there last week, and they went back because they went there late [last week] and they didn’t get to enjoy themselves, so they went back to swim and climb the mountains so that they could enjoy themselves,” Mack’s mother explained.
“My children went to an Islamic camp and they also met some children from Coomacka Mines, and they went up [with the couple] to visit them [the children] and they saw the beach and so. But they didn’t get the opportunity to swim and spend more time, so the man [the Canadian national] made another arrangement that they would go back to spend more time at the beach; so that’s how they went.”
Sobers said she trusted the couple with her kids.
“The man [Canadian national] is not no stranger; he would come for them, they go to the mall, he would take them to camp, he would come and take them to get ice cream. The man comes here, teaches them Islam… he even comes and plays with them…,” Sobers explained.
According to Sobers, after her son and the other child had finished swimming, they informed the adults that they were going to the edge of the river to wash off the sand on their feet. However, the two children proceeded into the river to swim some more.
“They were already in the car and preparing to leave… but I don’t know how they end up where they end up. But I know Hassini, we go to the creek and sometimes he would say, ‘I going and wash my foot’, and when you turn your back, he gone and catch a little swim,” Sobers explained.
Recounting what she was told, Sobers explained that the adults were alerted when the children “started hollering”.
“…and when they ran, the two of them were holding on to each other. Hassini was holding on to the other boy’s hand, but after some time it got slippery, and his hand slid off and he went underwater,” Sobers detailed.
Sobers has said she is still struggling to come to grips with the death of her son, more so since he was her first child.
“He slept with me in the same bed since he was small. We celebrated our birthday together because our birthday is the same month. Everything is me and my son. This is hard… I don’t know how I getting strength, but I thank God that he is giving me strength to stand up…,” she declared.
