UPDATE: Man found dead near canal went to check on fishing boat

Mitchell Benn, a 34-year-old man whose body was discovered near a canal at Babu Jaan, East Berbice-Corentyne, had reportedly gone to check on his fishing boat shortly before his death.

On Saturday afternoon, Benn’s body and the pickup truck he was driving were pulled from the canal as a large crowd gathered at the scene.

Police disclosed that Benn was driving pickup truck GRR 9936 along the access dam at Babu Jaan allegedly at a fast rate when he lost control of the vehicle and ended up in the canal.

Meanwhile, Trudy Sinclair, Benn’s cousin, told the News Room that Benn had lunch with his wife, Karel Woodroof, at their Babu Jaan home on Saturday.

Afterward, Woodroof left for work.

Benn mentioned his intention to check on his fishing boat, located not far from where his body was later found. Benn had purchased the boat about a month ago and regularly checked on it for security reasons.

Normally, he would visit the location with a workman, but yesterday, unable to locate the workman, he decided to go alone, assuming it would be a routine check.

Around noon, Woodroof received a call informing her that a vehicle had been spotted in the canal. She went to the location and discovered her husband’s pickup truck submerged and his body nearby. Alarmed, she alerted residents, who gathered at the scene and contacted the police. Authorities arrived shortly after that to begin investigations.

Benn was described as a hardworking individual involved in several business ventures, including selling honey, packaged fish, and vegetables. He had recently acquired a fishing boat to expand his operations and a pickup truck to support his growing businesses.

He leaves to mourn his wife and three daughters, ages 14, 7, and 3. His body is presently at the Ramoo’s Funeral Home awaiting a Post- Mortem Examination (PME).