A 27-year-old pork knocker reportedly drowned about a week ago while he and a co-worker were crossing the Konawaruk River in Region Eight (Potaro – Siparuni) on June 12.
This river is normally used as a shortcut to exit the mining area. Feared dead is Samuel Henry of Lamaha Springs, Georgetown; his body is yet to be recovered.
His wife, Junita Henry, told the News Room that Samuel and the co-workers were heading out of the mining camp when the incident occurred.
According to the wife, the co-worker related that they were crossing within the vicinity of the falls using a rope; Samuel had a half barrel tied to him with his clothing inside when they encountered difficulties and Samuel went under.
“They were holding on and crossing the river and my husband had a barrel tied around him and I was trying to understand if the barrel had anything inside but I get to understand it was a half barrel where they put their clothes inside from getting wet, along with that, the water was high,” Junita explained.
Samuel’s brother, who is also a gold miner, made a report about the incident to the Mahdia Police Station.
“They say because it is close to the Konawaruk Falls and the current of the water is very high and they would not have anybody to go down in that water because of the current,” Junita related.
The wife is hoping that her husband’s body would turn up and he can be given a proper burial.
Junita said her husband only recently started working as a miner.
“I saw him in January and I last spoke with him a week before I got this news,” the grieving woman said.
She explained that it was difficult to make contact with her husband given the poor cell phone service in the area but “if he is in signal area, I would get him but we talk for last month and this month we talked like every other day.”
She described him as hardworking, loving, and kind.
“He was jovial, he was loving, he was a quiet person,” the wife said.
The couple only got married last year but have been together for four years.
GOOD JOB