A Mahaica truck driver died on Tuesday midday after he drove off of the John Fernandes Limited wharf at Water Street, Georgetown into the Demerara River.
The deceased has been identified as 36-year-old Sheldon Wilson of Hand-en-Veldt, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara. At the time of the incident he was driving a truck with registration number GNN 7207.
According to a police release based on information received from the security at John Fernandes Ltd, Wilson had gone to the wharf to collect feed from a boat. After collecting the feed at about 12:30pm, Wilson started the truck and drove off the wharf and into the river.
Several persons were said to have jumped into the river to rescue the deceased. He was pulled out of the murky waters by a wharf labourer and taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
As seen by this newspaper, a CCTV camera which captured the incident showed the truck being driven at a slow pace into the river.
Viewers on social media questioned whether the incident was a result of Wilson suffering a heart attack or seizure, or his brakes having failed, or suicide.
When Stabroek News contacted police commander of Region Four, Division ‘A’, Simon McBean, he confirmed that the autopsy which was done on the man yesterday morning only stated his cause of death as drowning.
Investigations are ongoing.
