A cameraman of Charity Housing Scheme in Region Two died yesterday morning when the boat he was in capsized in the Lower Pomeroon River around the Grant Bush area.
Dead is Trevor Patrick, 48, a part-time worker attached to the Regional Democratic Council and radio station, Radio Essequibo 95.5fm. The incident occurred around 9:30. Patrick was in a privately-owned boat that was transporting media personnel to the Lower Pomeroon during a visit by President Irfaan Ali.
The craft which is owned by businessman Alfro Alphonso was carrying media personnel from the Office of the President when it capsized. President Ali along with the Minister of Agriculture and regional officials were visiting the Pomeroon following reports of flooding. The trip had concluded and they were heading out to Charity when tragedy struck.
According to information received, the boat’s propeller became entangled with some plastic fabric which caused the vessel to flip over. The passengers in the boat ended up in the Pomeroon River and Patrick went missing. After several minutes of searching, he was found and rushed to the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity where he was pronounced dead. Other passengers had to be pulled from the water.
Shock
President Ali and his team then journeyed to the Charity hospital where he met the wife of the deceased, Nirmala Patrick and his children and extended his condolences.
The shocked and traumatized woman related that her husband had left her early that morning to go with the team. She added that he would usually travel with the Alfro Alphonso team.
“I can’t believe, I am shocked, I don’t know what to say but it’s quite tragic and I don’t know how to take it.”
The deceased’s 21-year-old daughter, Nirvana Patrick said that her father was a loving person and that he would spend time with them and ensure that they got whatever they wanted. She remarked that she still cannot believed what had happened.
Patrick’s body is currently at the Charity mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination while the family is preparing for his funeral.
The boat captain has been hospitalised while the other media personnel were flown to Georgetown for medical attention. Also travelling on the boat was the President’s communications officer, Dhanash Ramroop and two other cameramen, Keon Blades and Jose Cheddi. The passengers’ equipment was damaged during the incident.
In a statement yesterday, the Alliance For Change said it was saddened by the death of Patrick and extended condolences to his family, friends and the media fraternity.
“This incident and other recent boat mishaps in our rivers bring into focus the need to re-examine our safety protocols and regulation, including the licensing regime and the competence of boat captaincy”, the party said.
It added: “As consumers, we seldom pay attention to the great risks reporters and camerapersons put themselves at to satisfy our need for information. Yet, to them, we owe a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. We will surely miss Trevor’s effort to ferret out the stories behind the story in his many pieces”.
