-foul play not suspected
The body of a 22-year-old miner believed to have drowned at about 9 am yesterday at St Elizabeth Backdam, Potaro, Region Eight, while he and a co-worker were floating on a drum in a mining pit was found in the afternoon.
Investigations revealed that the deceased, Shameer Roberts, called ‘Ten Pound’, of Lot 104 Melanie North, East Coast Demerara, had worked for about one month as a pitman at the St. Elizabeth Backdam on a mining operation.
His 26-year-old co-worker, Akeem Maddison, told police that yesterday morning he and Roberts rolled a drum containing fuel into an old mining pit which contained water to float across to their mining operation.
As they both entered the pit and began to cross, Maddison said he saw Roberts move off from the drum and take a different direction while struggling to stay above water. He immediately tried to reach him, but Roberts went under.
An alarm was raised, and a search team gathered to look for Roberts. Subsequently, at about 14.20 hours yesterday afternoon, his lifeless body was found and pulled out of the pit.
The police were summoned and a detective examined the body. No visible marks of violence were observed and foul play is not suspected at this time.
The body was transported to the Mahdia District Hospital.
