The body of land surveyor Germaine La Rose, 34, of Canvas City, Wismar, Linden, who went missing in a boat mishap two weeks ago near Imbaimadai Landing was recovered on Tuesday.
According to a police report, La Rose’s body was in a state of decomposition. La Rose’s colleague, Terrence Thomas, who also went missing in the same incident was recovered last week.
Stabroek News had reported that on November 11, 2022 Romell Ramlakhan, 32, a Guyana Geology and Mines Commission [GGMC] Mines Officer who was in charge of the GGMC station at Imbaimadai Landing had returned from a field trip to Kamarang. In company with Ramlakhan were Sherwin Wilson, 39, a labourer of Nelson Street, Mocha, East Bank Demerara, and a 46-years-old unlicensed boat driver of Imbaimadai Landing. According to the SN report, Ramlakhan was approached by La Rose who requested accommodation at the camp, to which Ramlakhan agreed since he [La Rose] was a former GGMC employee.
The following morning Ramlakhan said he observed La Rose and Thomas packing for their journey and he suggested that they wait until daylight. Ramlakhan said Thomas insisted that they leave at 4 am because of the length of the journey. Ramlakhan then said he transported the two men to a hill by the river using an All-Terrain Vehicle [ATV] and then returned to the GGMC station. He stressed that he had no prior knowledge nor did he authorize the uses of GGMC’s boat and engine to anyone.
The unlicensed boat captain, was reported in the said article to have departed the GGMC’s Imbaimadai camp at the time and along with La Rose, Williams, and another, boarded a metal boat, property of the GGMC, and departed Imbaimadai for Kako Village on Kako River, Upper Mazaruni. The boat was loaded with 40 gallons of fuel and contained ten signs to be erected at a mining claim that was scheduled to be surveyed. None of the occupants of the boat, it was reported, was wearing a life jacket at the time.
About two minutes into the journey the boat began to take in water; it was reported that Thomas and La Rose panicked and jumped overboard, and the boat subsequently sank. The boat captain and the other occupant swam to safety by using the fuel tanks. When the duo reached the river bank they discovered that both Thomas and La Rose were missing. An alarm was raised and police were notified.
