The family of a 13-year-old boy was plunged into mourning on Tuesday when his lifeless body was pulled from a trench near his home at Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara.
Dead is Mark Anthony Burnette, of Lot 60 Church Street, Stanleytown, who failed to resurface after making a dive, through an old tyre, into a trench some 60 metres from his home.
Burnette’s sister, Renetta, told Stabroek News that her younger brother, who attended the Endeavour Secondary School,
had stayed away from school on Tuesday to secure their house, since she had to conduct business in Georgetown. She said she left for Georgetown sometime after 11am. Meanwhile, another sister, Roshana, told this newspaper that a neighbour called out to Burnette to accompany him to pick cane in the backdam. However, that sister said Burnette convinced the other teen to swim instead.
Roshana further mentioned that reports reaching the family suggest that Burnette dived into the trench through the tyre two times. However, on the second occasion, he failed to resurface. “The boy run home and tell he mother Mark dead,” she added. It was not until another neighbour contacted the family that they were made aware of what had transpired.
The drowning occurred at approximately 11:45am.
The boy’s body, which was lodged in the tyre he was swimming with, was fished out of the trench at 12pm by an older brother. Additionally, Roshana said that her brother was stiff, foaming at the mouth and his arms and legs appeared to be broken.
The police arrived and the boy was pronounced dead. He was later transported to the Ezekiel Funeral Home.
Relatives voiced their disappointment that the boy’s companion did not notify them of his apparent drowning when it occurred as their two families are close. Additionally, the sisters said that the police were only summoned after the news reached to their aunt.
