Tragedy struck at the Lake Mainstay Regatta yesterday when popular powerboat racer Orin Keith Belle’s `Iron Charlie’ collided with another boat during the 90 hp race resulting in his death.
The 42-year old Belle of Bartica died en-route to the Suddie Hospital some 45 minutes after the incident. This caused organizers at the resort to call off all other boat races that were planned for the day. However, the super concert went off as planned.
According to reports, sometime around 11:45 am Belle was making a 360 degree turn on the second lap of the race when another boat piloted by, Dave Younge, collided with his. “He was making a turn like a 360 when this other boat take the inside and topple over on he boat and like the propeller and engine lash he in he head because he get a set of chop,” said Belle’s brother Vincent Belle.
Vincent Belle said that he was videoing the race, as he normally does, when the incident occurred. He added that they immediately went to his brother’s rescue but said it took approximately 15 minutes to get him out of the water.
Orin Belle suffered serious injuries, while Younge escaped unhurt and is said to be assisting police with their investigations.
Eyewitness, Anthony DeJesus, told Stabroek News that the incident occurred as Belle was about to negotiate a turn at the southern end of the lake. He added that the man lost a number of fingers and had a deep gash to his right thigh and other injuries about the body.
DeJesus added that there was no ambulance or medical personnel present and as such persons had to put the injured and bleeding man in the back of a pick-up truck and race to the Suddie Hospital.
The drive from Lake Mainstay to the hospital is said to be in the vicinity of 45 minutes to an hour and Belle succumbed to his injuries sometime during the drive and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Suddie Hospital.
His body was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where a post-mortem is expected to be performed today.
Orin Belle was scheduled to leave the country for the United States of America to visit his wife who resides there. His daughter came to Guyana specially to see him participate in this race.
The Belle family is synonymous with powerboat racing and Orin Belle was a champion racer. He won almost all of the races he participated in and was one of the most competitive of the Belles. His death has sent shockwaves through the powerboat racing fraternity and the Bartica community. Many of the racers at Lake Mainstay were in tears as they heard the news of his death. (Lakhram Bhagirat)
