A 31-year-old miner of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD) lost his life by drowning on Tuesday after he attempted to swim across the Puruni River in Region Seven, (Cuyuni- Mazaruni).
Dead is Alexander Angoy, a father of four. He died at about 19:07h at Chinese Creek Backdam, Puruni River.
Dead: Alexander Angoy
According to reports, Angoy and his 18-year-old cousin Yashua Angoy, also a miner, were at Chinese Creek backdam when they both decided to swim across the Puruni river to reach his (Alexander’s) camp.
While in the process of swimming across the river, Alexander went under the water while Yashua Angoy managed to swim to shore.
He raised an alarm and informed persons including Alexander’s mother Hyachin Angoy who also works in the Chinese Creek area.
A search party was formed but their efforts to retrieve Alexander were futile. However, on Wednesday, the search party which included the police, conducted searches, and the motionless body of Alexander was found and fished out of the Puruni River.
The body was examined by the Police and no mark of violence was observed.
Alexander’s uncle on Wednesday said that Alexander had been working in the area since he was a teen. He said according to his surviving nephew, Alexander was wearing a hat, that hindered him from swimming.
“My nephew told me that Alex was wearing a hat and that hat is what took him off his focus. He was a good way ahead, but after taking off his hat and throwing it in front of him, he had to be swimming in a slant direction which made the distance more longer for him, just because kept trying to get his hat,” he said.
“As my other nephew kept swimming straight, he was getting tired so he kept swimming to reach. He said he heard Alex call for him three times and after a while, when he looked, he didn’t see his cousin”.
The dead man’s uncle said the situation not only left Alexander’s cousin traumatised but his entire family in shock.
“When they found him, they found him with a hook. I assume they made a hook, put weights on it so it could sink to the bottom, and drove the waters all night till this morning [Wednesday]”, he said.
Investigations are ongoing. (G9)
