Autopsies yesterday found that a fractured spine and drowning were among the causes of the deaths of the victims of last Tuesday evening’s boat collision in the Upper Berbice River.
The bodies of Romario Denhart, a surveyor, 24, of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Julian McKenzie, 50, a farmer of Sandhill Village, Gregory Freeman Denhart, 55, and Kidman Lindee, 40, both farmers of Sandhill Village, Berbice River, were discovered some fifty five miles up the Berbice River between Katabali and Friendship by police during two searches on Wednesday.
The bodies, which were found a short distance away from the area where their boat collided with another that was being used to smuggle a large quantity of ganja, were positively identified by relatives at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Autopsies done yesterday revealed that Lindee died from drowning compounded by multiple injuries, McKenzie and Godfrey died from multiple injuries and Romario died from a fractured spine. Five men, Marvin Kissoon, 39, a fisherman of Lot 8 Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje Berbice, Kevin Archer, 20, a labourer of Maria Emrita Village, Berbice River, Carl Williams, 51, fisherman of Lot 6 Adelphi Settlement, East Canje Berbice, Netram Punwasie, 38, a carpenter and Ramnarine Punwasie, 23, labourer, both of Lot 12 Palmyra Village, Corentyne, have been jointly charged with possession of 35 kilogrammes of cannabis for trafficking after the narcotic was found in the boat.
The men will all return to court on May, 7, when it is expected that further charges will be filed against them.
Commander of Region Six Calvin Brutus, when questioned last evening, said the accused have indicated that they were heading out when they collided with the other boat.
However, a source indicated to Sunday Stabroek that the accused were reportedly tipped off that police were expected to raid them and had been trying to flee the area when the collision occurred. Police in Berbice have been conducting a number of eradication and raid exercises in the Berbice River area over the past few weeks.
It is believed that the men reportedly saw the boat with the four now deceased men approaching and assumed it was police ranks and allegedly hit them with their larger boat.
One of the accused has told investigators that after both boats capsized as a result of the collision, they reentered their boat and escaped since they did not see the four deceased surfacing.
