Police are investigating the suspected drowning of miner Jerome John, 53, which occurred between Friday and yesterday, at Puttering Backdam, Middle Mazaruni River.
According to a police press release, enquiries have revealed that John was employed as a pitman by Sebastian Chase, a 30-year-old miner of Pomeroon, on his four-inch land dredge operation. Chase told the police that John left his camp on Friday around 18:00 hrs and was headed to ‘Top Side’ to see his girlfriend. However, he never returned to the camp.
Yesterday, at about 08:00hrs, police said, another miner contacted Chase and told him he had observed a body floating in a pit, which he suspected was John’s. A report was made to the police who subsequently found John floating face up in an old mining pit. The police said there were no visible wounds, but owing to the advanced state of its decomposition, the rank was unable to determine if there were any other marks of violence. Investigations are continuing.
