A 43-year-old boat captain from Kilcoy Squatting Area, Corentyne, who had been missing since Tuesday evening was yesterday afternoon found dead on the Rose Hall, Corentyne foreshore.
The now dead man along with two other fishermen were fishing in the Corentyne River, when pirates launched an attack on them.
The captain of the boat, Mahadeo Ramdial also known as “Chico”, of Lot 146 Kilcoy Squatting Area along with the two other fisherman, Arjune Permaul, 45, of Kilcoy Squatting Area and Permanand Nandan, 21, of Lot 103 Tain Settlement, Corentyne left to go fishing in the Corentyne River from the Albion Foreshore on Monday afternoon.
Permaul, a father of one, relayed that on Tuesday afternoon around 6:30 pm, they saw a small fishing boat approaching their boat, ‘Vuruni 4’.
According to Permaul, the attackers slammed their boat into the Vuruni. He recalled, that he saw two men armed with cutlasses on the boat, who gave orders to “down abie head and out the light”.
He then stated, that the man walked to the back of their boat, where their engine was along with the fish they had caught thus far. “Them throw some fish in them boat and tell abie jump in”, Persaud said. At this time, he noted that the suspected pirates removed their 40 Hp Yamaha engine, which was valued close to $900,000. “Them tie abie boat from them one and them drive lil bit then them chop off abie boat and loose am out”.
Arjune stated that the perpetrators, who had t-shirts tied around their mouths in order to conceal their identities, then ordered them to jump over board. “Them say them go chop abie if we na jump over board”. He explained that he and Nandan immediately jumped overboard, however, Ramdial was hesitant and stayed on board. “The captain na jump, them take the cutlass and knock the captain from he head, broadside am, one hard knock”. He said the men then turned around their boat and tossed Ramdial overboard after which they motored away.
Arjune told Stabroek News, that they decided to swim to shore, as at that time it was the only option they had. However, he said as they were swimming, Ramdial began complaining about the pain from his head injury. Arjune said that he took him on his shoulders to assist him but Ramdial at that point was no longer able to hold on to him. He said, Ramdial told them to swim ahead and he would come “slow, slow” at the back.
Arjune and Nandan said they kept calling on him and he would answer but they then noted, that on their fourth call he did not respond. They said, they looked back and Ramdial was nowhere in sight.
The duo then swam until they found a vessel anchored some 100 feet away from the foreshore, next to the “Port Mourant channel” around 8:30 pm. They said they tugged on the ropes until the fishermen on the boat woke up and assisted them. They were brought to the shore where they visited the police station and filed a report.
In the wee hours of yesterday, a group of fishermen from the Corentyne Area, launched a search in an effort to find Ramdial. They searched for hours but returned empty-handed. They then had something to eat, refueled their boats and ventured out back. It was then that they discovered the body at the foreshore.
The boat, Vuruni 4 and the fishing seine was discovered along the Albion, Corentyne foreshore yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, Ramdial’s father, in a short interview with this publication, called on the police to investigate thoroughly. He said, while the incident may seem as a straightforward piracy attack, he wants the police to exhaust all possible options, so as to determine exactly what transpired out at sea.
Fishermen of the Corentyne Area also took the opportunity to call on the government of Guyana to ensure they are protected at all times. The fishermen relayed that when piracy occurs, the coast guards would patrol for two- three days and then stop. They opined, that this shouldn’t be the case, while stressing that the coast guards should be patrolling at all times.
They are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter immediately. The fishermen also highlighted, that the fishing industry is a major one in Guyana and situations like this pushes fishermen to leave the job, which will in turn hamper the industry and affect the country as a whole.
They then pleaded for more security to be provided for them.
Navin Ramdial, 18, who was standing in front of his father’s lifeless body while speaking to Stabroek News via telephone, relayed that they found him hooked between a fishing seine at the Rose Hall foreshore. The lad noted, that his father was bleeding from his ears, however, he said, it appears as if he was badly bitten by crabs.
Ramdial and his wife, Chaitrani shared a twenty-year- old marriage.
