Girl, 6, battling for life after found submerged in swamp

A six-year-old girl is battling for her life at the Georgetown Public Hospital after she was discovered submerged in a swamp with injuries on her head and face, about 500 feet away from her Goed Bananen Land, East Canje house on Sunday.

According to a relative, the child sustained a fractured skull, among other injuries and remains in an unconscious state in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); she was transferred from the New Amsterdam Hospital.

The News Room understands that the 25-year-old mother of the child was taken into police custody since Sunday and is assisting with the investigation; a neighbour was also held for questioning.

Police Headquarters in a statement noted that the child’s parents are separated and her father was granted visitation rights every Sunday. It is alleged that the father contacted the mother at around 08:00h and made arrangements to collect the child.  According to the mother, she prepared the child for her father to pick her up and left her in the yard playing.

When the father arrived, the child was nowhere to be found. The grandmother said she last saw the child at about 11:30h playing in front of the yard. The family formed a search party and the child was found by her grandfather at around 14:00 submerged in a swampy area, covered in mud and was laying on her side with her thumb in her mouth. A piece of wood was also discovered next to the child.

The grandfather, during an interview with the News Room, said the family is puzzled as to what may have happened; they are praying for her recovery.

“I searched the area and even passed where she was, but I didn’t see her; is when I turn back and watched again I see her face so meh start scream, help! help! [and] nobody [heard me] cause them deh behind.

“So meh pick she up and run with she, then them Police collect she and carry she hospital. She couldn’t talk and was barely breathing people,” the distraught grandfather said.

He said it is unusual for her to venture towards the area where she was found.

On Monday, as the investigation intensified, the police took the mother back to the scene and a spot of blood was also discovered in the vicinity.