Walter Da Silva Oliveira, a 49-year-old Brazilian mechanic, is feared dead after he disappeared during a river excursion on Thursday.
Reports are that the incident occurred at about 18:00h at Suriname Landing in the Middle Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
According to reports from Police Headquarters, Oliveira had, on September 1, travelled from Kumung Kumung in the Puruni River to Suriname Landing in the Middle Mazaruni River, with his co-worker Gerson Alves DaSilva, to do some mechanical work for a woman named Francisca Gonzales Leite.
At about 17:40h on Thursday, Oliveira completed his work, and borrowed Leite’s 15ft aluminum boat, which was powered by a 15-horsepower outboard engine,
to take back some tools he had borrowed from a camp about 10 minutes away along the Mazaruni River. At the time, he was the sole occupant of the boat.
An eyewitness at Suriname Landing said he heard a loud impact, and upon checking, he saw the boat “spinning” in the river, and a male shouting for help. An alarm was raised, and checks were made in the area for the occupant, but he was not found. The matter was then reported to the Police. Investigations are underway.
A few days ago, the body of Reagan Rodriguez, who went missing following a boat mishap in the Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), was found floating in the river.
Rodriguez, a farmer of Charity Housing Scheme, was thrown into the river following a two-boat collision along the Pomeroon River last Thursday at about 14:40h.
Based on reports received, a licensed boat captain was the lone occupant in a 21-foot wooden boat powered by a 250-horsepower Yamaha outboard engine, and was proceeding from the Charity Wharf to Grant Phoenix Park, Lower Pomeroon River.
However, during the journey, he collided with another wooden boat that was powered by a 5-horsepower Yamaha engine. The smaller vessel was captained by Rodriguez.
Following the accident, the captain went to the Charity Police Station and reported that he was proceeding south on the river when he collided with Rodriguez, causing him to capsize and fall overboard. The captain claimed that he did not see the smaller boat, and had just felt an impact. Upon looking into the water, he said, he saw a hat and a small boat with the engine ‘tilted up’. (G9)
