Intoxicated salesman dies after falling into Corentyne River

Paul Bahadur, a 47-year-old salesman from Canje, Berbice was found dead after a suspected drowning incident on July 23. The event occurred at the Orealla boat stelling where Bahadur had been working with a group of fellow salesmen.

According to a statement from Police Headquarters, Bahadur, who often sold kitchen utensils in the Orealla area, traveled to the village with three other salesmen—Michael Balgobin, 34, Brian Chand, 18, and Ricky Jaimangal, 19, all from East Canje. The group arrived in Orealla on July 21 for their routine sales activities.

On the morning of July 23, the salesmen went to the Orealla boat stelling to place their goods on a passenger boat before proceeding to Siparuta Village. According to Balgobin, Bahadur had been drinking alcohol and, while attempting to board the boat, slipped and fell into the river. The group reported hearing a loud splashing sound as Bahadur fell.

When they searched for Bahadur, he was nowhere to be found. The boat’s captain, Niel Jittoo, was immediately alerted, and a search party was dispatched. The search concluded tragically when Bahadur’s body was recovered around 13:30 hrs on the same day.

At this time, authorities do not suspect foul play. A post-mortem examination is planned to determine the exact cause of death. The police investigation into the incident is ongoing.