20-yr-old drowns trying to save girlfriend

By Leroy Smith

A romantic outing turned deadly for a 20-year-old West Demerara resident who drowned on Sunday (April 09, 2017).

Dead is 20-year-old Richard Ramirez who along with his girlfriend, went on an outing at the Parika Sea-dam East Bank Essequibo on Sunday.

Both of the young people were unable to swim.

The body of the man was discovered among the boulders at the foreshore in Parika, East Bank Essequibo (E.B.E) this morning (Tuesday, April 11, 2017).

According to relatives who spoke with the News Room following the discovery, the young man who was born in Venezuela and relocated to Guyana at the age of 14, left his Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home and told relatives that he was heading to sleep at a friend’s house on Saturday (April 08, 2017).

However, on Sunday, they received the tragic news that Ramirez has drowned.

The family members said that he only began seeing his girlfriend some two weeks ago.

The young lady related to the family that the two went swimming and although neither knew how to swim, she requested that they venture further into the water and the young man obliged. It was then that she began “going down” and the man rushed to save her. It is alleged that in an attempt to save her, Ramirez went under the water and pushed her to the surface. Further, as her head rose above the water, the young lady shouted for help and was spotted by a boat operator nearby.

She related that the man rushed to their assistance and pulled her to safety but by the time he attempted to rescue Ramirez, he had already disappeared.

A report was lodged with the police at Parika and a search conducted for the young man but proved futile.

Richard Ramirez worked a handy man along the West Bank of Demerara and while not staying at the Wales address, he would be at his mother or uncle’s house, also in Region Three.

Investigations are ongoing.