The body of a Corentyne schoolboy was on Wednesday afternoon fished out of a canal at Tain Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Dead is Ronaldo Sankar of Williamsburg, Rose Hall Town. The 15-year-old attended JC Chandisingh Secondary.
Dead: Ronaldo Sankar
Reports are that he and four friends went for a swim in a canal after school on Wednesday. According to one of Sankar’s friends, going for a swim after school was a regular practice; however, it was the first time that Sankar joined them. The friend related that after swimming for some time, they decided to come out of the water, but Sankar was not seen.
The four boys went back into the water in search of their friend, but after some 30 minutes of searching and not finding him, they decided to go to his home and relate the incident to his family.
According to Sankar’s sister, Amanda Dihal, the boys arrived at their home about 16:00h. She said the Police were contacted and a search party went to the canal located about one mile from his home.
A search party made up of family friends went into the water in search of Sankar, who according to Dihal, could not swim and had never gone swimming with his school friends before.
After not being able to locate Sankar’s body, searchers deployed a fisherman’s net and moments later the lifeless body was discovered. He was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Sankar, who was a Grade 11 student, was expected to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams next May. He leaves to mourn his parents and a brother. (Andrew Carmichael)
