A Corentyne, Berbice fisherman died on Friday after a boat collision at sea.
Dead is Rudra Persaud, 51, of Number 77 Housing Scheme, Corentyne, Berbice.
Reports are Persaud was the captain of the vessel Rosanna 1. The incident reportedly took place in the Atlantic Ocean at a place called “Long Pole” in Surinamese waters.
This newspaper was told that the incident occurred just around midnight. Reports are the crew of five was awakened by a loud crashing sound on their boat. According to information, another vessel was in the water but Rosanna 1 began to sink. The men then cut their seine and started the engine, hoping to make it to shore but the boat continued to take in water. The others in the boat were Premdat Sohan of Number 55 Village, who is currently hospitalised with a broken rib and burns from gasoline, which had spilt on him; Sukhpaul Kaiso, 26, of Number 77 Housing Scheme; Ravindra Persaud, 23 (son of the dead man), and Shazad Ally, 17. Kaiso told this publication that they tried to use the ice box to float to no avail.
“We nah see nothing but the boat was leaking and within three minutes, the boat gone down. We hold on the icebox and float on it for hours until 03:00 this morning (Friday) then we get rescue,” the man said.
According to the father of one, Persaud told them that he was not going to make it. “When we already near fuh reach the boat he make two blow and that was it. Is the cramp and he does suffer from high pressure and was heavy rain…” The rescue boat, he said, pulled up the front half of a wooden speed boat in its seine.
Meanwhile, the dead man’s wife referred to him as a very kind person who always took care of the family. The fishermen were expected back in Guyana on Saturday.
Persaud leaves to mourn his wife and two children. (Andrew Carmichael)
