One man remains missing following a collision in the Pomeroon River on Sunday evening which has raised renewed questions about safe navigation in the hours of darkness.
Missing and feared dead is 21-year-old Kelton Benjamin of Lima, Essequibo Coast while Barry Fraser is nursing injuries to his feet.
Speaking with Stabroek News, Ulanda Fraser who was a passenger in the boat said that they were proceeding on the right bank of the Pomeroon River in the vicinity of Charity, heading to the Lower Pomeroon when a bigger vessel crashed into them.
“My father (Barry Fraser) was driving the boat at the time and we did not see the other boat coming towards us. We had a flashlight that we were using but the other boat had none. After they slammed into us, the impact caused the motor on our boat to come off and the boat was damaged at the side.”
Fraser said that Benjamin who was sitting at the back of the boat was thrown overboard.
“My father started asking if everyone was ok but then we couldn’t find Kelton and we couldn’t move from the spot because we had no motor. We kept asking the people in the other boat to help us but they left us right there. People who heard the impact came and rescue us.”
According to information, the boat was powered by a 200-horsepower outboard engine while the other boat had two 200 hp engines.
After they drove away, the passengers reportedly went to the Charity Police Station where they made a report.
Meanwhile, Benjamin’s sister Kerlisa Benjamin said that she was also in the boat when the collision occurred.
“The driver of our boat tried to swerve out from the other boat but they still crashed into us. They didn’t even try to help us even though we begged them to. We had to wait until some other people come to tow us to Charity”, she said.
She related that earlier yesterday three divers searched for Kelton without success.
“My brother’s body wasn’t found. We are still searching and we hope we find it soon”, she said.
The police are investigating the matter.
