Police revisit scene where UG valedictorian drowned

Members of the Major Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) on Friday revisited the scene where UG valedictorian, Michael George drowned on August 23, 2020.

Dead: UG valedictorian Michael George

His body was reportedly pulled from a black-water canal in Parika Back, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), where he along with three friends went for a pre-birthday celebration.
On the day in question, the father of two, of La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD), reportedly took off his clothes and walked into the water where he went under and never resurfaced.
However, a source told Guyana Times that the police have launched an investigation into the alleged drowning after family members thought something was amiss.
This suspicion stemmed from the autopsy results which proved that the man drowned as a result of blunt trauma to the head.
The family is holding out that the area where the young man died did not have any wood or rocks hence, him hitting his head was questionable.
More so, the friends have told Police that George walked into the water – he hadn’t “plunged”. The source explained that the scene was revisited and the three friends who were with the now dead man at the time of his demise will be further interrogated.
On the day in question, a family member told the media that George was at home when his friends came and invited him out. Shortly after, his family received a phone call that he disappeared minutes after he entered the black water. This was not the first time George went out with his friends at that location but it was, apparently, the first time he went into the black water.
On previous visits to the area, his brother would warn him not to enter the water since he could not swim. Nevertheless, after the unfortunate incident, the dead man’s friends told detectives that George was under the water for about 10 minutes before they pulled him out.
They allegedly attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but he remained motionless.
An inspection was conducted on the man’s body, and no marks of violence were evident. George was the valedictorian of the West Demerara Secondary School’s 2005 class, and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry at UG. He graduated with distinction and earned the President’s Medal.
He also had a PhD in Biochemistry Engineering from the University of Alberta and was working as a lecturer at the Texila American University. He also taught fifth and sixth form classes at the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School.
George was described as “a true genius” who impacted many lives.