Orealla ambulance mishap: Boat captain died of heart attack – PME

The Captain of the Orealla river ambulance who was discovered motionless in the ambulance after it ran into trees along the river bank, died of a heart attack.
This is according to an autopsy conducted on the body on Monday by Government Pathologist Dr Vivakanand Bridgemohan.

According to the pathologist, the heart attack would have led to the boat captain becoming unconscious. This may have caused him to lose control of the boat.
On Saturday, Glen DeVair called ‘Shiko’ 65, the previous Toshao of Orealla and Siparuta, was pronounced dead after being pulled from the river ambulance, which was on its way back to Orealla after taking a patient from the community to Corriverton, some 50 miles away.
The river ambulance, which was carrying a nurse, 29-year-old Shunika Williams, was discovered at the side of the river about a ten-minute drive from Orealla.
DeVair and Williams, left Corriveton just before day light but never arrived at Orealla.
The boat crashed into a tree along the river shore knocking the nurse who was asleep at the time unconscious.
Williams, who was about three months pregnant, was subsequently taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, is said to be in a stable condition, however she has since lost her baby.
DeVair served as Toshao for the twin village community situated up the Corentyne River in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) from May 2021, to May 2024.
In June 2024, the riverine communities of Orealla-Siparuta received the $14.5 million new water ambulance.
According to report, following the impact on Saturday, when the boat was discovered, the steering wheel was disconnected, with all of the wires severed.
Several boat operators reportedly passed the river ambulance in the corner of river, one being DeVair’s son. He said he pulled over and called out but got no response and was of the opinion that his father had taken another boat to go home.
However, when he arrived at Corriverton more than an hour later, he called home to find out that his father was not at home. It was then that he reported witnessing the ambulance among a clump of bushes about 10 minutes away from Orealla.
It took rescuers about two hours before they could organise a team to go to the scene. DeVair was found in the back of the boat lying on the floor, and appeared to have been burnt by gasoline, which was pouring out and had covered a section of the floor where he was. (G4)