By Malisa Playter Harry & Royan Abrams
A 25-year-old block maker of Lot 72 Sisters Village, Berbice lost his life on Tuesday after plunging into the Berbice River.
Elroy Lewis was on an outing with four of his friends; Javid Mohamed, Noel De Cuna, Ramnarine Mangroo and Rambally Chan at about 15:00 hours when he plunged from the boat they were occupying.
The friends have since been taken into custody to assist with investigations.
Mohamed who was the captain of the boat recalled that they spent over six hours at Ithaca, before leaving to go home with the boat. He added that while they were on their way home in the Berbice River, Chan, De Cuna and Lewis undressed and plunged into the river.
News Room was told that moments later, Lewis started shouting for help but before Mohamed, the captain of the boat could have rendered any assistance to Lewis, he went under water and was never seen again.
Meanwhile, News Room spoke to Lewis’s fiancée, Venita Ally, who noted that Lewis left home at approximately 8:00 hrs on Tuesday morning but did not say where he was going at the time. She said she later received a message from one his friends that he drowned.
Lewis’s father who also spoke to News Room disclosed that he was aware that his son was on a trip to “catch iguana in the Berbice river with his friends”. According to him, ” one of the bai seh that dem jump off approximately 100 ft from shore to swim but den when den turn around dem hear Elroy hollering for help and fighting up in the water”. This contradicts what the friend, Mohamed said.
He also said he was told that one of the men made efforts to rescue his son, however, the engine of the boat “gave up” which left him no choice but to paddle the boat to where Lewis drifted. This was unsuccessful since Lewis’s body had already subsided into the waters.
The man said he is suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the incident as his son was a good swimmer and it was not his first time in the waters.
Members of the Guyana Police Force are currently combing the Berbice River to recover the body of the deceased.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
