Puruni River boat mishap: Bodies of missing guards, guns, ammo recovered

The bodies of the two security guards who went missing on Wednesday when the aluminium boat they were travelling in capsized in the Puruni River, Middle Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), have been found.
Dead are Patrice Grimmond, 37, of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, and Kevis George Robin, 35, of No. 30 Village, West Coast Berbice. Both were employed with a private security firm operating in the interior.
The incident occurred around 16:00h while the men were travelling from Surie Mouth Backdam to Puruni Landing. According to investigators, the vessel was carrying four occupants when it reportedly developed mechanical issues mid-river. The boat is said to have become unstable and subsequently overturned, throwing the men into the water.
Two of the occupants, including the boat captain, managed to swim to safety and alert others in the area. Police ranks stationed in Middle Mazaruni responded and launched search efforts with assistance from miners and residents along the river.
The body of Grimmond was recovered later on Wednesday afternoon. Search operations continued into Thursday, when Robin’s body was found. During the recovery exercise, Police also retrieved a shotgun and an AR rifle, along with matching ammunition, all assigned to the security firm and believed to have been in the men’s possession at the time of the incident.
Post-mortem examinations conducted on Friday at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh confirmed that both men died from drowning. No external marks of violence were observed on either body. Their remains have since been released to relatives for burial.
The Guyana Police Force has indicated that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the mechanical failure of the vessel.