Two United States-based Guyanese brothers lost their lives last Tuesday after they reportedly drowned while on vacation in Puerto Rico.
Dead are Ryan Fortune, 46 and Rawle Fortune, 40.
The brothers resided in the state of Maryland, but originated from Vryheid’s Lust on the East Coast of Demerara.
According to an NBC Washington news report, the brothers were swept away by a rip current while vacationing.
The report said that they went to San Juan to celebrate Rawle’s birthday.
Ryan’s wife told NBC Washington that the brothers were swimming in the ocean when they drowned near the hotel where they were staying.
“We thought they were fine, and you can’t really tell how far they were out, and then all of a sudden they disappeared,” the report quoted Nakia Wilson-Fortune saying. “We couldn’t see them, and I couldn’t find them,” she added.
According to the report, after an alarm was raised, hotel guests and paramedics could not save the Fortunes. “Those two boys were my heart,” their father, Arnold Fortune, told NBC Washington. “I love those boys,” he added.
Rawle was a retired Marine who worked as a DJ and real estate agent, while Ryan worked for Metro. Their family had migrated to the United States 37 years ago.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has since been launched to raise funds to cover transportation of the bodies from Puerto Rico to Maryland, funeral costs and to support the children of the men.
As of yesterday afternoon, US$14,850 of the US50,000 goal was raised.
