Bodies of two of the four men missing since Saturday’s Cuyuni River mishap were recovered yesterday even as questions are being asked about the qualifications of the young boat captain.
The body of William Patoir of New Amsterdam, Berbice, was recovered at about 4pm yesterday in the Matouk Falls, Cuyuni area, police said, while the body of Junior Bandoo, 35, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo was retrieved about two hours later. Two men, Clive Welcome, 18, of Bartica and Shawn Robinson of New Amsterdam, Berbice remain missing. A search was carried out all day yesterday and the two bodies were found after they floated up in the river. Last evening, a search party returned to the rapids to continue the search.
Three persons: the boat captain, Junior Lyte, 19, of Batavia, Cuyuni and two passengers David Prass, 26, of New Amsterdam and Morris Hopkinson of Second Avenue, Bartica managed to make it to shore after the boat, the Black Angel, capsized at Matouk Falls at around 10.30 am on Saturday. They were picked up by another boat. Both engines of the Black Angel had failed in the Matouk Falls area and it subsequently capsized, police had said. Lyte remained in police custody yesterday as investigations continue.
Region Seven chairman Gordon Bradford told Stabroek News that Patoir’s body was retrieved at about 4pm yesterday while Bandoo’s body was found at around 6pm. The bodies were taken to the Bartica Hospital Mortuary. “The last one they pick up was in the rapids itself,” the chairman said. He said that despite the treacherous nature of the area, a search team equipped with lights returned to the rapids last evening to continue the search as it was felt that the men are dead and would begin to float up.
Following recent rains, the level of the Cuyuni River is high and Bradford said that “all the time it treacherous.”
Bandoo’s sister, Wanda Bandoo told Stabroek News that the father of two was coming out of the interior having gone there a week earlier. She said that he worked with Hopkinson and would usually go to their mining operation for about a week at a time. He left two Fridays ago and had told her that he would return on Saturday, she said. Another relative said that the boat had hit something and the engines failed and the vessel capsized in the rapids. He said that based on what he was told, “they din had enough life jackets cause only who had life jacket (got) save.”
Relatives also questioned whether Lyte was qualified and had a captain’s licence. “He ain’t got no captain licence. He is a trainee,” one relative asserted. They said that they were not immediately informed of the incident. Bandoo is survived by his reputed wife, Negla Rojas and his two daughters ages five and six. He and Rojas were together for 13 years and he was involved in mining for a number of years, Wanda said.
An official of the Maritime Administration Department was in the area and an investigation is expected to be launched.
Meantime, when questioned on the reports of Lyte’s qualification, Bradford said that he was not aware of this but pointed out that boat captains navigating the Essequibo, Cuyuni, and Mazaruni Rivers have to be very skilful and know the area given the nature of the rivers which have many rapids. “The only way you learn to navigate any of the three rivers…you have to have practical experience,” he said. “Constantly travelling up and down the river, that is how you learn the river.”
He also noted that persons are disregarding their own safety by not wearing life jackets and this is a phenomenon that occurs across the country as persons also do not wear seat belts in vehicles. “If you wearing your life jacket, even if you perish, it easier to recover the body,” he said.
The accident is one of a number that have occurred in the country in recent times. In January ten persons died after two boats collided on the Mazaruni River. The two boat captains were charged with manslaughter and released on $1 million bail each. A report on the collision, prepared by Director of Maritime Safety Stephen Thomas had confirmed that the small open boat Dube collided with another small open boat Mattrani in the Mazaruni River in the Crab Falls area, as they were navigating the point of an island. The Dube, with 10 persons on board and a quantity of cargo, was travelling from Parika and was destined for Puruni, while the Mattrani was leaving Puruni and was destined for Parika through Bartica, when the accident occurred, the report said.
There have been other mishaps with multiple fatalities and reports on these are yet to be released.
