Teen found dead after boat capsizes in Essequibo River

The body of 17-year-old Rickford Jose Angel, was on Monday morning found along the riverbank of the Essequibo River in the vicinity of Mango Landing, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Angel of Linden reportedly went underwater when the boat in which he was travelling capsized on Sunday afternoon, about 400ft away from the landing.
Reports are that on Sunday morning, the teen along with others known to him, departed Linden for the interior where they were transporting groceries and other equipment needed to set up a dredging operation.
On Sunday afternoon, the teen’s family was informed that he went missing after the boat capsized.

Searches for the teen on Sunday afternoon were futile but on Monday, the body was found covered in mud on the riverbank.
A relative told this publication that the teen’s body bore suspicious marks of violence, causing them to suspect foul play.
The teen’s body is currently at the Mahdia Hospital Mortuary, awaiting a postmortem examination.
The persons who were travelling with Angel were reportedly questioned extensively by the police.
According to the teen’s brother – who resides in Berbice, Angel lived with his mother and sister at Linden, however, the mother had left him in the care of a grandmother to proceed to the ancient county, to take care of another relative.
The brother related that their mother advised the teen not to go on the trip but despite her pleads, he went anyway.
Angel has been described as a determined and hard worker. He attended trade school and would do any job he could find, including wash cars.
According to the brother, Angel really wanted to purchase a motorcycle and was trying to save to buy it. He recalled that whenever his brother would earn a little money, he would buy food for his family. “He like Chinese food bad and he would buy chicken fried rice and share it with them,” the brother expressed fondly.
This tragedy for the family comes on the heels of them losing a loved one on Boxing Day 2024. The brother noted that another of his sibling, Edward Mikel Blair, died in an accident on Boxing Day.