After days of searching for Germain La Rose, 34, of Canvas City, Wismar, Linden and Terrence Thomas, 29, of Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown, who had gone missing following a boat mishap at Imbaimadai Landing on Thursday, November 10, the body of Thomas has been recovered.
Police officials confirmed on Wednesday that the man’s body was found in the vicinity of Imbaimadai Landing, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). It has also been revealed that a post-mortem examination would shortly be done to determine the cause of his death.
Meanwhile, the search for La Rose continues.
Thomas and La Rose went missing on Thursday, November 10, after the boat in which they were travelling took in water and sank in the Upper Mazaruni River in the vicinity of Imbaimadai Landing.
Romell Ramlakhan, a Mines Officer in charge of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission at Imbaimadai Landing, has said that he and two other colleagues had returned from a field trip at Kamarang Landing, and he was on his way to the GGMC station when Thomas and La Rose approached him on the Imbaimadai airstrip and related that they had arrived in Imbaimadai Landing to do work, but did not elaborate.
Information obtained revealed that La Rose requested to be accommodated at the GGMC living quarters, and Ramlakhan agreed, since La Rose was a former employee.
However, Ramlakhan said that the following day, at about 03:00h, he observed La Rose and Thomas preparing to go on their journey, and he suggested that they wait until daylight. He said that Thomas declined, noting that the journey was a lengthy one, and he used an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to drop the duo on the hill by the riverside, and he returned to the GGMC station.
The boat captain, Romain Reece, told investigators that he, La Rose, Thomas and another man boarded a metal boat, property of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and headed for Kako Village, Upper Mazaruni, along with approximately 40 gallons of fuel and 10 signs to be erected at the mining claim they were going to survey.
Some two minutes into their journey, while he was trying to plane off the boat, Reece said, the boat began to take in water, and Thomas and La Rose panicked and jumped overboard, causing the boat to take in water and sink.
Reece said that he and the other man attempted to swim to safety, and got to the river’s bank by holding on to fuel tanks, but upon reaching the river’s bank, he discovered that Thomas and La Rose were missing and the other colleague was a few feet away. Reece said an alarm was raised and Police were notified.
It was also revealed that none of the occupants of the boat was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. It was also reported that the Mines Officer Ramlakhan did not know, and had not authorised anyone to use the GGMC boat and engine.
