Shawn Atkinson, 18, who drowned during the Barama Company Limited’s fun day on Friday, was under the water for more than six hours prior to his body’s discovery.
This is according to his father, Anton Sutherland, who said that a post-mortem examination (PME) conducted yesterday confirmed that Atkinson, of Fire Station area, Timehri, had died from drowning.
Sutherland explained that on Friday Atkinson left home as usual at 05:30 hrs. At about 11:45 hrs, he said, Atkinson’s mother called with the news of the youngster’s disappearance.
Sutherland added that though he was in Mahaica, he immediately left and headed to Land of Canaan where the fun day was being held. Two hours later on his arrival Atkinson had not yet been found.
The police were already been on the scene and warned him against entering the water. He acquiesced and watched the search continue. According to reports, an excavator was also unsuccessfully used to search for Atkinson. At 18:00 hrs after all search attempts proved futile, Sutherland decided to enter the water along with five others.
Atkinson’s body was found 15 minutes later in the very spot where he had gone under. He was transported to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was officially pronounced dead and then to the Lyken’s funeral parlour. His body was finally taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) yesterday for the PME.
The police, Sutherland said, have remained in contact with him and were present from the body’s discovery all the way up to the PME.
Atkinson, the second of seven siblings, is expected to be buried next Monday.
According to eyewitnesses, Atkinson disappeared when he jumped into a canal while chasing a cricket ball displaced during a game. He was reportedly unable to swim.
Though an attempt had been made to save him, the young man had been struggling too much, eyewitnesses added.
