An afternoon of fun at the Madewini Creek ended in tragedy for two parents when their son jumped from a bridge and never resurfaced.
Vishaul Ram, 17, of 1002 Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) shortly after 8.30 pm.
The teen, this newspaper understands, plunged from the bridge above the creek. After he hit the water he failed to resurface and relatives and friends became alarmed.
A search, according to reports, was launched for the young man. More than 30 minutes after Ram jumped from the bridge, a nurse, who was washing her foot in the creek at the time, came into contact with one of his feet.
He was immediately hauled from the water and futile attempts made to resuscitate him. This newspaper learnt that it was the police who rushed Vishaul to the city hospital.
Other persons, who were at the creek at the time of the incident, were gathered outside the hospital. Several were heard saying that they had cautioned the young man against jumping from the bridge into the water.
Meanwhile, the parents of the deceased were in tears outside the Accident and Emergency Room.
There are signs, this newspaper understands, which warn patrons not to plunge into the water especially not from the bridge under which the creek runs. These signs, a creek manager had explained to this newspaper last year, were erected following the call for more to be done about public safety at the highway swimming spots.
Management, the manager had stressed, did not commit to providing lifeguards at these locations and patrons were warned via the erected signs that if they disobeyed the warnings then they were doing so at their own risk.
