Fisherman feared dead after falling overboard at Orealla

A fisherman is feared dead after he reportedly fell overboard in the Corentyne River in the vicinity of Orealla village on Sunday.
Missing is 42-year-old Sunny Jagessar of Albert Street Number 79 Village, Corriverton, Berbice.
Based on information received, on the day in question, Jagessar and his employer departed the Springlands foreshore at around 09:00h in a wooden vessel powered by a 40-horsepower outboard engine. They were heading to Orealla village to fish.
However, at about 14:00h, the vessel was at the eastern side of the Corentyne River bank at Orealla when Jagessar – who was positioned at the stern of the boat – fell overboard.

Upon hearing the splash in the water, his colleagues went to check and it was then they realised that he was missing. They immediately started to search for the man but he was not found.
The missing man’s aunt, Nalini Jagessar, said the man has been working in the fishing industry for some eight years.
She explained that on Sunday, the owner of the boat came to her house asking for her nephew. After being told that he was not at home, the man asked her for his mother.
“I told him that he don’t have a mother and that he lives with me. He tell me that he hear that Sunny fall out of the boat and they can’t find him. That is all he tell me and he go away.”
The man’s sister, Sabvita Jagessar, related that she was on the seawall looking for her husband who is also a fisherman when she saw the owner of the boat and asked him if they had reported the matter to the Police but he responded in the negative.
“So we go to the Police station at Springlands and I report it and the same time I see ‘Crapo’ who is the boat owner come at the station and after I tell the Police what I hear happen and ‘Crapo’ was right there, the officer pick up the phone and say that he going and call Orealla. He did not even take a statement from any of us,” she said.
There are reports that Jagessar and his employer were involved in a heated argument three weeks ago.
His aunt noted that it was she who prevented the argument from escalating. She also stated that based on information received, the argument continued one day before the tragedy.
In light of these reports, family members are calling for a proper Police probe. “We need justice because my nephew don’t have a mother.”
The aunt stated that her husband travelled to Orealla on Monday to assist with the search.
“He tell me that he see the boat captain and about five other men sit down in a boat. The Police have not arrested him,” she added.