Chinese national missing after falling from new Demerara River bridge site

– search continues for body

A search is ongoing for the body of 39-year-old Jian Wei Fu, a Chinese national who reportedly fell into the Demerara River on Wednesday while offloading materials from a barge at the construction site of the New Demerara River Bridge.
In a statement issued on Thursday, officials said the accident occurred at about 20:20h at Pier 34 (P-34) along the Demerara River.

“The worker was carried by the swift current downstream. Immediate search and rescue operations were initiated by the company’s emergency response team, with assistance from the Coast Guard and police units on night patrol in the area. Despite extensive efforts throughout the night, including the deployment of a diver, the worker has not been located,” the release has said.
The search continued throughout the evening and on Thursday, but the body is yet to be recovered. Officials have said the search would continue until the body of this missing worker has been found.
The private contractor is fully cooperating with local authorities, and a full investigation of the incident has been launched by the Occupational Health and Safety Department of the Labour Ministry.
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has, meanwhile, visited the New Demerara River Bridge project on Thursday as efforts continue to recover the body of the missing man. The minister visited the site from 3:00h to 5:00h, and again from 7:00h to 8:00h, in order to oversee the ongoing search operations and engage the teams involved.

The Home Affairs Ministry has said search efforts are currently being carried out by the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, the Marine Wing of the Guyana Police Force, and by other relevant agencies. “These teams are working tirelessly along the waterway and surrounding areas to locate the missing worker and bring closure to this unfortunate incident,” the Ministry has said.
The Ministry has also said it remains committed to ensuring a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, and that its thoughts and prayers are with the worker’s family and colleagues during this difficult time.
Meanwhile, an investigation launched by the Ministry of Labour has found that Fu was reportedly working alone, strapping materials onto a barge at Pier 34 of the New Demerara River Bridge project, when he fell overboard. At the time, he was not wearing a life jacket.