Coast guards recover body of man in Canje Creek mishap

Regional Commander Boodnarine Persaud on Monday confirmed that the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guards on Sundays recovered the body of one of the missing persons in the Canje Creek tug mishap.

According to Persaud, the body of Richard John, 29, of Edinburgh Village was found at approximately 17:00 hrs at the same location where the tug capsized.

He noted that the girlfriend of John, Shellon Williamson, is yet to be found but the search continues for her body.

On Friday, at approximately 20:45 hrs, the tugboat with passengers John, Williamson, Keon Jannis and Captain Dennis John capsized in the Canje Creek, trapping the occupants.

However, while the Captain and Jannis made it out alive, the two others could not be found.

The captain of the vessel, who is also the brother of the missing man, Dennis John, had told reporters that his he was cooking when Williamson went below the shed of the boat and shortly after, she called out saying that there was water entering the vessel and that there was a visible hole in it.

The two brothers attempted to bail the water from the boat but it leaned and capsized.

The Captain said he managed to swim out and at some point, Jannis did too, but his brother and Williamson were trapped. He dived and returned in a bid to save them but could not and instead swam back up and went for help.