A watchman lost his life when he drowned while picking “puri leaves” in a trench at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara yesterday morning.
Ramnarine Singh, 61, also known as ‘Ramesh’ or ‘Abay,’ of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo was found dead with his head down in the water.
Relatives told Stabroek News that Singh, who worked at Caribbean Temptation Bar at Anna Catherina, had just come off duty when his stepson, Zaman ‘Bush’ Ally, 33, picked him up.
Reports are that Ally noticed that Singh was getting “short of breath” and asked him if he would make it and he said yes.
They had already picked some of the leaves, which they were supplying to persons for a Hindu religious function, when Ally realised Singh was missing.
He started a frantic search for him and called out his name but he got no response. He eventually noticed his body in the water and raised an alarm.
Many persons gathered at the scene and the police also arrived to conduct investigations.
