The bodies of the two men who went missing after a collision between two boats on the Essequibo River on Monday which claimed the life of Sherry Khan, were found on the shores of Hog Island yesterday.
The two men were identified as Osafa Anthony Roberts also known by family and friends as ‘Marlon’ and ‘Chappo’; and Jose Joaquin, who is a Brazilian businessman. Commander of ‘D’ Division, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper, told Stabroek News that the bodies of Roberts, a resident of Lot 29 Devil Dam, Philadelphia, East Bank Essequibo, and Joaquin, 44, were found a mile apart.
According to information gathered, Devindra Singh, the captain of the M&Y Express speedboat, was transporting eight passengers to various destinations on the Essequibo Coast but was heading to Buckhall at the time of the collision.
One of the passengers recounted that the incident occurred at about 5:45 pm on Monday. However, the authorities have said that it occurred at 7 pm. The M&Y Express speedboat was hit unexpectedly by a white boat in the vicinity of Hog Island. The collision caused the passengers to “pitch” out of the speedboat. The fibreglass boat that was involved in the accident is reportedly registered to an unnamed Venezuelan national and had been parked near the Roden Rust marina, where it was under repairs.
The Captain, Latchman Sankar, and the unnamed mechanic reportedly denied knowing the owner of the boat.
According to Director of Maritime Safety, Captain John Flores, investigations revealed that the crash occurred at 7:00 pm. Sankar reportedly told the police that both boats were heading in opposite directions and when he saw the speedboat, he turned his vessel to the right. However, the speedboat turned in the same direction which caused the vessels to collide and the passengers of the speedboat were flung into the river. Sankar and his mechanic reportedly then helped some of the passengers on board but the boat soon began sinking. They alerted a nearby boat, which transported the passengers to the Parika shores while the fibreglass boat sank.
In addition, investigations also revealed that the two captains were using cellphone torchlights to navigate their way on the water. Flores commented that speedboats are not permitted to travel between the hours of sunset and sunrise because the boats were not equipped with navigation lights, which are vital for travelling.
Joaquin’s body was identified by one of his friends as police are still trying to contact his relatives, who are believed to be residing in Brazil. Roberts’ body was positively identified by his sister and mother. Roberts’ body was found at 1:10 pm yesterday. The bodies are presently at the Ezekiel Funeral Home, Best Road Cemetery, West Coast Demerara.
Sherry Khan, a mother of four, was killed in the crash. According to reports, Khan sustained injuries about her body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH). Khan was taken to the WDRH with another passenger, Jaeva Veira Nunes, in an unconscious state. Nunes remains hospitalised.
The owners of Nursie Boat Service and the speedboat that was involved in the accident, Milton Duke and Ylentine Hohenkirk, were rushed to a private hospital in the city where they remain hospitalised. Other survivors of the accident include Singh, Sankar, Joel Thompson and Raymond Charles. They reportedly sustained no injuries. The unnamed mechanic sustained no injuries.
