Construction work on a church at Linden came to an abrupt halt yesterday after a sandpit caved in killing one of the workers, 23-year-old Bobcat operator Ray Garraway of No. 41 Village, Berbice.
The incident occurred shortly after 11:00hrs at Old England, Mackenzie, Linden. According to one of Garraway’s peers, who was at the scene of the incident, Garraway was in a Bobcat when tragedy struck. He explained that there were three persons at the site. “He deh sitting in deh Bobcat and we went loading when we see deh whole wall coming down.”
The man who chose not to be named said that they shouted out to Garraway to run but the mountain of sand covered him before he could escape.
Others at the worksite were alerted and a rescue mission quickly started. It took several hours to get to the buried 23-year-old whose lifeless body was found in a standing position. Garraway’s father was among those who help to dig him out of the sand.
When Stabroek News visited the site the body had been removed already. At the Linden Hospital Complex he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Approximately ten workers were crammed into the church bus with the body bound for the Upper Demerara Hospital Mortuary.
Speaking with Stabroek News the man’s mother Jenny Stuart said that he has a twin brother Ron Garraway.
She described her sons as identical twins but said that Ray was very “strong headed.”
The distraught woman said that she last saw her son sixteen days ago when he left their No. 41 Village home for Linden.
She said that a close relative received a call from her son’s employer Alwin Chowritmootoo informing them of the tragic incident.
“They didn’t want tell meh he died because they know me hypertensive but it start going up all over Facebook and they know the US gon call me so when I call back they tell me my son dead.”
Stuart said that the other half of the twin, Ron, is not coping well with the news.
She said that he and Ron worked together but Ron returned to Berbice last Thursday and was scheduled to return to Linden yesterday morning. “Deh boss man pass and left him, they didn’t stop and collect he,” sobbed the mother.
At the time she was on her way to Linden with other relatives. She said that Ron was at another worksite of their employers at Eccles when he got the shocking news and rushed to Linden where he remained at his brother’s side until the body was lodged at the mortuary. Attempts by this newspaper to secure a comment from Garraway’s employer proved futile.
Mark Hookumchan accompanied Garraway’s girlfriend to the LHC in the hope of getting a glimpse of the body but they were too late.
Pastor of the church under construction, Selwyn Sills, was seen consoling the workers and relatives and providing transportation for the workers as they closed off work and prepared to return to Berbice.
Garraway has left to mourn one child, a brother and a sister, his mother and other relatives and friends.
Police at Linden are investigating the incident.
