Bodies of boat crash victims found

The bodies of the missing passengers from last Monday’s Essequibo River accident have been found. Jose Francisco Joaquin, a Brazilian, and Osafo Anthony Roberts called Join wire, 25, an auto electrician of Philadelphia, East Bank Essequibo, went missing after two boats collided at Chalmers’ crossing located at the western tip of Hog Island, in the Essequibo River.

Their bodies were found yesterday by a search party of policemen and coast guards. Ceanna Williams, the wife of Roberts told Kaieteur News that her spouse was headed to Buck Hall to transport goods. “He does drive for people and carry up items for people in Buckhall. She said her husband got a call to go to Buck Hall a few days before the accident.”

Joaquin and Roberts were among eight passengers aboard an M&Y Express vessel headed in the direction of Buck Hall when it collided with a Venezuelaregistered fibre glass boat which was proceeding in the opposite direction. The accident, which occurred around 18:00 hours on Monday, also left Suriname–based Guyanese businesswoman Sherry Khan, a mother of four, dead.

The survivors were later identified as Devindra Singh called Crank, 43, the captain of the passenger vessel, of Greenwich Park, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), Milton Duke, 43, a businessman and his wife Yalutine Homankirk, Jaeva Viera Nun, a Brazilian National and Raymond Charles. They were taken to the Leonora Cottage and West Demerara Regional Hospitals. At least two were moved to private city hospitals where they remain hospitalized. Investigations into the matter have so far revealed that the captains of both vessels were using the lights from their cellular phones to help them navigate the waters when the accident occurred. Reports indicate the Venezuelan vessel was under repairs and on a test run when it smashed into the passenger vessel. Police and maritime sources later confirmed that the captains of both vessels were navigating the dark waters without the use of proper lights. At least one survivor, Charles, was able to recount the incident. He said that the passenger boat overturned several miles away from their destination. According to him, the other vessel appeared out of nowhere and slammed the passenger boat which capsized with the travellers and their goods. (Kaiteur News)