Policeman drowns after patrol vessel sinks

A 39-year-old Policeman is now dead after the vessel in which he and a colleague were travelling sank during a river patrol exercise on Monday evening.

Dead is Police Corporal 16825 Balgrave Bartholomew of Itaballi, Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). According to Police reports, the incident occurred around 20:45h in the Ekeruku River, Mazaruni.

The investigation so far has revealed that Corporal Bartholomew and his colleague Constable Travis Bess went on patrol duty in a wooden boat that was captained by miner Devon Williams, of Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

As they were returning from patrol duty, the vessel began to take in water from the bow and quickly sank. Bess and Williams managed to swim to shore, but Corporal Bartholomew unfortunately could not.

An alarm was raised and a search team comprising residents began combing the area. About 10:00h on Tuesday morning, the lifeless body of the 39-year-old cop was found in the river.

The body has since been transported to Bartica Hospital Mortuary for a post-mortem examination today. Corporal Bartholomew had served in the Guyana Police Force for over 20 years and had been stationed in the hinterland for most of his policing career.

F Division (Lethem and other Interior Locations) Commander, Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budram, along with Pastor Lennox Rankin of the Police Force’s Cops and Faith Community Network and a party of Police ranks, on Tuesday’s visited relatives of the deceased and offered their condolences.