Two persons drowned in two separate incidents, one on Wednesday at Rock Creek Backdam, Puruni River, Region Seven (Cuycuni-Mazaruni), and the other at Sand Creek Village, South Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
Dead are 29-year-old Manley Williams and 59-year-old Franklin Smith.
Williams, a miner, drowned on Sunday while taking a swim in an old mining pit at Sand Creek Village at about 11:30h.
According to Police, Williams was seen swimming in an old mining pit located some 40 feet from his camp. It was later observed that the man suddenly went underwater and did not surface.
Shortly after, Williams’ brother went into the pit and conducted a search and discovered his motionless body at the bottom of the pit. His body was subsequently taken out and escorted to Bartica as the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, Smith, a cook of McDoom, East Bank Demerara (EBD), allegedly drowned sometime between Wednesday and Sunday at Rock Creek.
Police said that Smith was employed by a Dartmouth village, Essequibo Coast man as a cook at his camp at Rock Creek.
One of Smith’s colleagues told Police that he along with two other workers had left the man in the camp cooking lunch on Wednesday and went to their worksite that is approximately three minutes away.
However, at about 17:30h when they returned, they did not see Smith. He told Police that they waited for several hours but he did not return.
On Thursday at about 08:00h, his colleagues conducted a search in the area but did not find him. It was on Sunday at about 16:00h, the man’s decomposed body was found floating facing upwards in the Puruni River.
The matter was reported to Police, who retrieved the body. A probe is ongoing. (G9)
