Some may say that there is something sinister happening in Guyana’s waters and that it may seem as if water spirits are calling for human sacrifices. Some may say the loss of life may be retribution for the pollution – the shadowy practices involving gold, oil, and the garbage that rests on the riverbeds and float on the surface. Upstream or downstream, rapids create spaces of danger, while troubled waters puke the evidence of our carelessness, rebelling against our detrimental practices as the innocent souls of our people departed from their bodies gather. But while we can believe in superstitions, we must highlight the issues we know have resulted in too many deaths in our waters within the last months. While we understand that accidents do occur, the frequency of mishaps in Guyana’s waters is troubling.
In January a young man, 23-year-old Chive Persaud was traveling on the Pomeroon River when he was injured by the boat’s propellor. He died.