“Jet” man dies as mining pit collapses

Police in Regional Division Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapsed of a mining pit, which claimed the life of a 47-year-old miner.
Dead is Stephen Mark Samuels of Karawab Mission, Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
Reports are that at about 16:00h on Sunday at Puruni Backdam, Puruni River, Region Seven Samuel and several workers were in the pit working.
Police said on Monday said that Samuels was employed by a Brazilian national, and was working as a ‘jet’ man on a six-inch land dredge in the area.
However, while working, a part of the eastern wall of the mining pit broke and fell into the pit covering Samuels.
An alarm was raised, and with the assistance of other workers present, Samuels motionless body was removed from under the rubble.
A report was then made to the Police who visited the scene and examined the body. No marks of violence were seen. The body was then escorted to the Puruni Health Centre and pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty. It was then transported to the Bartica Regional Hospital mortuary and will be transported to Georgetown for post mortem examination. Investigations ongoing.
In March, 60-year-old Bertram Willie, a dredge owner of Wisroc New Housing Scheme, Linden, died while working at his mining operation at Cowing Backdam, Upper Mazaruni River in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Based on reports received, Trevor Benn, another miner, related that on March 6 at about 12:45h, the now-dead man was submerged while extracting gravel in the Mazaruni River.
As he looked closer, he observed that a piece of land had caved into the river – the area where Willie was operating.
However, Benn explained that he called out to Willie but did not get any response. As such, he immediately raised an alarm, and with the assistance of other miners, they found the body of the elderly man pinned underwater by a tree stump.
Willie was subsequently pulled from the water and taken to the surface. He was taken to the Imbaimadai Health Post, where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem is expected to be conducted soon.