WCD man dies in 2-boat collision

Relatives of Andrew Christopher Bradford, a 54-year-old man who died following a river collision near Buckhall Landing, Essequibo River, are hoping investigators conduct a thorough probe into the incident as the captain involved has reportedly been released on bail while investigations continue.
Bradford, called “Chris”, of De Willem, West Coast Demerara (WCD) and Caria Caria, Essequibo River, lost his life after the small wooden boat he was operating allegedly collided with a speedboat on Saturday night.
According to Police, the incident occurred at about 20:00h in the vicinity of Buckhall Landing. Investigators said the speedboat, operated by a 41-year-old captain from Springfield, Essequibo Coast, was carrying five passengers when the collision occurred.
The impact reportedly caused Bradford’s boat to capsize, throwing him into the river. Several searches were conducted Saturday night, but he was not found.
On Sunday morning, police ranks, members of the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and relatives resumed their search in the area, and Bradford’s body was recovered around 11:48h.
He was later pronounced dead at the De Kinderen Regional Hospital. His body is currently at the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Bradford’s eldest daughter, Nikisha Bradford told Guyana Times the family was devastated and was hoping the authorities “do the right thing”.
“I would like to see things go right,” she said, expressing hope that justice would be served in the matter.
She also disclosed that the speedboat operator was released on bail after cooperating with investigators.
“The driver is out on bail. I don’t know how much bail, but he had to go to the Police Station to do a video interview, and after the interview, he was released,” she related.

Overwhelming
Nikisha said she received news of her father’s disappearance while attending a baby shower.
“His wife called and said she got a message that he had an accident and they can’t find him,” she recalled. “Immediately I started crying, because I know boat accidents are not something nice. Most times it ends badly.”
She described the situation as overwhelming, noting that the family had already been dealing with another emergency just before hearing the news.
“About 10 minutes before, another cousin fainted and we had to rush her to the hospital, and then I got the news that my dad was missing,” she said.
The woman also clarified father’s occupation, noting that he was involved in several trades.
“He’s not just a pork-knocker,” she said. “He hunts, he does construction work, fishing, and he’s also a gold miner.”
According to Nikisha, her father had recently returned to Caria Caria, where he was born and raised, because he was rebuilding his home with plans to settle there permanently.
She added that based on information relayed to the family, Bradford had been travelling by boat in search of a man called “Shawn”.
“From what I heard, he was following another boat to look for someone called Shawn. He went to one landing and didn’t find him, so he was going to another landing,” she explained.
Investigations into the fatal river mishap are ongoing.