A woman and her two-year-old grandson are now dead after the boat in which they were travelling capsized in the Lower Pomeroon River on Friday night as they were returning home.
Dead are Agatha Gill, 38, and Marley Henry, both of Friendship Canal, Lower Pomeroon River.
Police Spokesman Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor yesterday confirmed the accident, which occurred around 11.35pm.
He said the dead woman’s husband, Riley Gill, who was the captain of the boat at the time of the accident, was arrested and he is assisting the police with their investigation.
At the time, the trio were returning home from an outing.
The police, in a statement, said their investigations have so far revealed that around 8pm on Friday, Agatha left home and went to drink with some friends. She was accompanied by both Riley and the young child.
Both she and her husband were said to be intoxicated during the return trip home.
Riley reportedly told the police that as he entered the Friendship canal, a coconut husk hit the boat engine’s propeller and as a result he lost control of the vessel, which hit the edge of the river bank before capsizing.
Agatha and Henry were trapped underneath the boat.
Riley further told the police that he tried to rescue them but his efforts were futile.
He said public-spirited persons subsequently rushed to his assistance after which Agatha and Henry were retrieved from underneath the vessel. They were both unconscious.
They were rushed to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. There were no visible marks of violence about their bodies.
While foul play is not suspected, the police are awaiting the results of scheduled autopsies to verify how they each met their demise.
