The body of Kwebana resident Fred Crème, who was missing after a boating mishap, was on Monday night found by residents floating near the Suddie Beach, in Essequibo, Region Two, and he was laid to rest early yesterday morning because of the decomposing state of his remains.
Crème, 24, a farmhand and nine other men were thrown overboard amidst rough Essequibo River waters last Saturday as they were making their way from work in a boat. The other nine men were rescued after a passing vessel witnessed the incident and went to their aid. However, Crème could not be located.
His wife Iris Daniels yesterday told Stabroek News that he was found by residents of Suddie floating near a beach. She said that his body had already begun decomposing and was swollen. As a result, a decision was made by his mother to have him buried at Suddie yesterday morning.
Stabroek News was told by a relative of one of the rescued men that the boat was laden with farm produce and that due to the weight it was unable to ride the tides. “The boat had plenty weight you know and how it make flat, not like them other boats, when the wave came in he say it hit the boat in the middle and it can’t ride the tide so another one came and sink it…the sea was bad,” the relative said.
Crème’s mother, Joan Prince, said that while she was relieved that the body of her son was found and that he was buried, her immediate worry was how she would make her way back to Kwebana as money promised to the family by his employer was no longer forthcoming.
The woman lamented that the employer, Shabeer (only name given) had promised the family to assist with the funeral but yesterday was a no-show.
She said that she used the little money that she had to give the man a “basic burial” in anticipation that she would collect at least his earnings from his employer. “I call he and he say he will come up because I want to go back home tomorrow. I don’t have no-no money now, none at all and I want to go home,” she said.
“When I see it getting late, I call back and he turn off the phone on we,” she added.
When Stabroek News tried Shabeer’s number, calls first went unanswered then the phone was turned off.
Prince is appealing to the public for assistance to help her return home as she has no money to either stay in the house her son rented or to sustain her basic needs. She said that she also has five other children to care for.
The father of one was from the Kwebana district but settled on the Essequibo Coast about six months ago. He once lived at Parika but moved to their present address at Adventure, also on the Essequibo Coast, after he got the job on the farm.
He was described by his common law wife as a very dedicated worker who despite being poor and having only meagre earnings would try his best to ensure the needs of his family were met.
