Diver drowns while working on ‘river dredge’ in Region 7

Police have launched an investigation into the death of a 61-year-old diver of Camp Kayuka Ideal Road, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, who died on Sunday while working on a river dredge in the Mipuri Backdam, Upper Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Dead is Hugh Van-Lewin.

Police reports stated that about 11:15h on Sunday, the now dead man was underwater operating from a ‘river dredge’ along with other employees, when they realised that he was not receiving oxygen or responding.
This prompted one of Van-Lewin’s co-workers to dive underwater and investigate. It was then that the deceased was found with his head stuck in the mud.
According to Police, the co-workers immediately removed Van-Lewin’s body from the water in an unconscious state and rushed him to the Imbaimadai Health Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The dead man’s ex-wife, Mabel Van-Lewin, told Guyana Times that the diver only returned to the interior in February, after recovering from an illness.
“Whenever he goes to work he would keep me updated when he leaving to go in the interior…he called me back in February and told me he went in the bush and he got sick and would be returning any time soon so that’s when he left and gone,” she said.
The woman described her ex-husband as a “kind and helpful person”, who supported her even though they have been separated for some time.
The dead man’s body was flown from the Imbaimadai Health Centre’s mortuary and remains at another in the city awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The dredge on which Van-Lewin was working is said to be owned by a miner of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown.