Donald Ross, 38, of Washington, West Coast Berbice (WCB) who went missing in the Abary Creek last Sunday evening miraculously survived by keeping afloat on his back until relatives rescued him around 11 am on Wednesday.
Ross also known as ‘Sargie’ and ‘Thick’ was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he was admitted. His feet were badly crimped from being soaked in water for so long. When Stabroek News saw him at the hospital, he was also shivering even though he appeared to be fast asleep.
Relatives had launched a massive search since Monday morning via speedboat, horse and tractor and kept praying that he would be alive.
At first, when he was spotted floating in the water with his face up, relatives who were in the speedboat searching were convinced that he was dead. A family member who wished not be named said they were initially contacted with the sad news of his death. Amidst their grief and mourning and while receiving sympathy from persons they were told that he was in fact alive. According to her, another brother and member of the search party started to call out his name and it was then that he turned his head.
He was found several miles away from the camp he was working on.
Ross had left home around 2 pm last Thursday to work with a rice farmer as a cook on the left bank of the Abary Creek. He was staying in the camp with other workers aback Kingelly, WCB.
This newspaper learnt that around 9 pm on Sunday he left the camp without saying where he was going, only telling the workers that he was “coming back”. After he failed to return they contacted their boss and his relatives were subsequently informed.
