A 38-year-old woman and her two-year-old grandson drowned in the lower Pomeroon River following a mishap around midnight on Friday.
The dead woman has been identified as Agatha Gill, a housewife of Friendship Canal, Lower Pomeroon River. The name of the child was not given by police, who noted he lived at the same address.
According to reports, the incident occurred sometime between 23:30h to midnight on Friday.
The police said Gill and her husband left home Friday night to consume alcohol with some friends at Burn Bush, Lower Pomeroon River, and were accompanied by their grandson.
Whilst returning home, the husband who was highly intoxicated told investigators that as he entered the Friendship Canal a coconut husk hit the engine propeller of his wooden balahoo and he lost control of the handle of the engine, which caused the boat to hit the edge of the left bank of the river. This resulted in the boat capsizing and trapping his wife and grandson underneath.
The man related that he tried to pull his wife and grandson from under the boat but his efforts were futile.
He then called for help, and a group of public-spirited citizens came to his rescue to assist in turning the boat over after which the man then managed to pull out his wife and his grandchild from underneath. They were both in an unconscious state.
The 42-year-old man was then assisted by another person to rush the woman and the toddle to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital, where they were examined by a Doctor on duty and pronounced dead on arrival.
The bodies of the deceased were then escorted to the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting a Post Mortem Examination.
The husband, Riley Gill, was since taken into police custody at the Charity Police Station.
Investigations are ongoing.
