An early morning collision yesterday between a passenger boat and another vessel in the Demerara River has left a goldsmith in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Tulsiram Sukdeo, 57, of Vreed-en-Hoop Railway Line, West Coast Demerara underwent emergency surgery at the medical institution having suffered severe head injuries after being hit in the collision. Police said that he was thrown out of the passenger boat and suffered injuries caused by the propeller of the engine. He has lost his left eye, relatives told Stabroek News. Following the surgery, Sukdeo was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital where he is on a life support machine. Up to yesterday afternoon, the father of three had not regained consciousness and relatives said that the doctors told them that he was fighting for his life.
The captains of the two vessels were up to late yesterday afternoon at the Brickdam Police Station assisting police with investigations. Charges are likely to be laid, a police source said. A few other persons, who were in the boat also suffered injuries.
Reports are that just around 8 am yesterday, the passenger boat, ‘Shadow’, captained by Oswald Benjamin and loaded with passengers was a short distance away from the Georgetown Ferry stelling where it was heading, when it slowed to allow the two-engine fibre-aluminum boat, ‘S.V GEO’ captained by Norman Hammer, to pass. The S.V GEO is here to assist in conducting near shore surveys aimed at determining the best possible route for the landing of a new submarine fibre-optic cable system. Police, in a press release, said that the boat was ferrying workers out to a ‘Mother Ship’ at sea.
Boat captain and eyewitness, Bob Mangal said that his boat was 150 feet away from the ‘Shadow’ and from what he observed the captain in the S.V GEO apparently did not see the ‘Shadow’. “I see the captain (Benjamin) idling for the boat to pass but the other captain like he din see de boat”, he said. Mangal related that the ‘Shadow’ had slowed to allow the other vessel to pass but the S.V GEO, which he said, was moving at top speed, rammed the ‘Shadow’ in the middle where Sukdeo was sitting. The goldsmith was hit and his skull cracked, according to reports. The bowman, Visham Datt was thrown into the water.
Mangal said that he along with a few other boats manoeuvred close to the stricken ‘Shadow’ which was taking on water, to render assistance. He said that he threw his boat’s “life-ring” to Datt but the man was picked up by another boat. The boat captain said that following the incident the SV GEO did not stop but sped away. “It just left the scene”, an upset Mangal asserted. He said that the vessel was a ‘two-engine’ boat and travelled at top speed.
Meantime, Benjamin managed to steer his boat to the Georgetown Stelling onto a mudflat. The tide was low at the time. Sukdeo, along with the other persons were rushed to the GPHC, where he underwent emergency surgery. Also sustaining injuries were John Pilgrim, 31, of the Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, who suffered injuries to both feet and Ann Fields, 31, of New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, who suffered a twisted ankle at the hospital.
At the hospital yesterday, anxious relatives awaited as Sukdeo underwent surgery and were in tears when they learnt that he had lost his left eye. His daughter, Naseema ‘Pam’ Singh told this newspaper that her father was a goldsmith and he was coming over to the city to work.
The SV GEO later reported to the Coast Guard and the captain was taken into custody.
Vice-President of the Demerara Speedboat Association, Lancelot Moseley told this newspaper that Benjamin had been a speedboat captain for 10 years and was “in the system” for about 15 years. The captain was described as “one of the most cautious drivers” plying the crossing and other boatmen concurred with this view and said that Benjamin’s actions following the incident were “calm and cool”.
The SV GEO is here along with the marine survey vessel, MV Southern Relentless to conduct near shore surveys aimed at determining the best possible route for the landing of the new submarine fibre-optic cable. The project, the Guyana/Suriname Submarine Cable Project is being done at a cost of US$60M by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) Company and Suriname’s national telephone carrier Telesur. The two companies last December signed a joint agreement in Paramaribo for the construction of a 1174km cable, which would result in an increase in telecom bandwith by 3, 000 to 4,000 times what is currently available through the Americas 11 Cable and satellite links. Several preparatory phases are to be completed during this year with the actual laying of the cable project to commence by the first quarter of 2010.
When contacted for a comment yesterday, GTT public relations officer, Allison Parker said that the company is aware of the incident and it is being investigated. She directed this newspaper to the Harbour Master and the Ship Owners Association for further comment.