The bodies of the three men, who were reported missing after a boat they were travelling in overturned in the Puruni River on Monday last, have been recovered and are said to be at the Puruni Landing.
Only two of the bodies have been identified.
It is reported that the bodies were found floating in the Puruni River sometime around 8 am yesterday but Police officials at Bartica could not confirm that since they say they have not received a feedback from the team of investigators dispatched to the area.
Two of the men have been identified as 35-year old father of four, George Bowman, called ‘George Bush,’ of Lot 535 Section B South, Sophia and 22-year old Devon ‘Sadam’ Chapman of Lot 22 West La Penitence.
Bowman’s mother, Helena Smith, said that someone from the mining area informed her that the bodies been recovered but efforts made by this newspaper to confirm that proved futile.
According to Chapman’s mother, Donna Chapman, he had ventured into the mining area sometime during the month of April and she received the call about him being missing sometime around 1 pm yesterday.
The woman said that her son has been a miner for over a year and his employer “Vege” (only name given) is yet to make contact with her to inform her of the incident.
She said “He wukking with this man over a year now and on to now this man nah tell me nothing and I don’t really know what happen.”
She describes her son as a hardworking and jovial person.
Based on accounts given to this newspaper, on Sunday last a large group of men from the Puruni, Backdam, in the Mazaruni River ventured out to celebrate Fathers’ Day. As they were returning on Monday morning, sometime around 7 am, their vessel capsized, leaving the three men unaccounted for.
