A nine-year old boy met a tragic end yesterday after he fell and drowned in rough waters outside the foreshore in the Bushy Park, Parika area.
According to reports reaching Stabroek News, Nicholas Ward, of 233 Old Road, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, ventured into the Bushy Park area along with two classmates from the Greenwich Park Primary School, on the East Bank of Essequibo, around 12:30 yesterday. While walking around a few wrecked vessels in the area, the lad slipped and fell into the water. Ward would have celebrated his 10th birthday on February 25th.
The boy’s distraught father, Garret Ward told Stabroek News last evening that he was at his workplace at the Institute of Private Enterprise and Development in the city when a workmate informed him of the tragic news. He said at first he did not believe what he was told but he soon confirmed that his son had indeed drowned.
Ward said that his son’s death was a significant blow to him, since his wife only passed away some two years ago after a prolonged illness. He related that based on what he was told, his son left school shortly after lunch. Classes were dismissed for the day, since a function was being held at the institution in honour of the outgoing head teacher.
The man said that his son and his friends were playing on the vessels when he slipped and fell into the water, going under instantly. He said the lad’s friends ran away from the scene and it was about half of an hour later that a neighbour, on hearing what transpired, ran to the scene to rescue the boy..Ward said that his son’s lifeless body was retrieved from the water shortly after In addition to his father, Nicholas Ward is survived by three elder siblings. His family was last evening making preparations for his burial.