The body of Owen Smith Jnr aka ‘Tonkie’, a 25-year-old miner of Santa Cruz Village, North West District, Region One, was yesterday pulled out of the Barama River at about 7:30 am by the police with the assistance of relatives, a police report stated.
It was reported that on the afternoon of New Year’s Day, Smith, while under the influence of alcohol, disappeared while taking a bath in the Barama River, North West District.
Enquiries revealed that Smith, who lived with his reputed wife, left home for an unknown location on New Year’s Day at around 08:00 hours and returned home at about 16:00 under the influence of alcohol.
According to his wife, Milinda Adams, Smith told her that he was going to take a bath. He walked into the river and went under water twice. She related that she told Smith to come out since the water was high but instead, he ignored her and when he went under water for a third time, he never resurfaced.
The woman immediately raised an alarm and persons in the area responded and combed the area but were unable to locate him. The matter was reported to the police around 17:30 hours the same day.
