A 17-year-old drowned just before noon on Thursday after he slid into a canal at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.
At the time, Chetram Persaud, called ‘Vicky,’ of 233 Back Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, was trying to wash his hands after disposing of garbage with two of his neighbours, a father and son.
His aunt, Natasha Beaton, told Stabroek News that the canal Persaud fell into was recently dug and it was, therefore, very deep. She said Persaud tried to save himself by holding on to the feet of one of his neighbours, who also fell into the canal.
Beaton said the remaining neighbour, who could not swim, nonetheless jumped into the canal to save the two but only managed to help his son. She explained that they called for help and neighbours responded and rescued the two, while Persaud disappeared in the murky water.
Beaton stated that after Persaud’s family became aware of the situation, police were summoned to the scene and arrived after some time. She said police told the family that they should dive and search for Persaud. She explained that public-spirited persons assisted and after an hour of searching they found the body.
An autopsy gave the cause of his death as trauma to the head and drowning. The family believes that he may have hit his head during his fall.
Persaud was a student of the Campbellville Secondary School and was in the midst of sitting this year’s Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate examinations.
