Body of drowned man washes ashore

Two days after falling into the estuary of the Demerara River, the body of Chavez Allicock, 25, of Lot 33 James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown was discovered floating at Ruimveldt last evening (Thursday).

Based on reports received, the father of four was in the process of pulling in a fishing net when his hat fell into the river and he jumped in to retrieve it.

From all indications, the man might have hit his head on a piece of wood and although his brother went to assist him, he sank into the murky water and never resurfaced. Leonard Allicock, the dead man’s father who was piloting the fishing boat, said his son jumped into the rough water on Tuesday evening.

He explained that his son had recently purchased the hat and after it fell into the water, he felt the need to go after it.

“After he jumped into the water, my other son went behind him…so as I bring around the boat to collect both of them… my other son tell me that Chavez went down in the water… I couldn’t believe, because he was a good swimmer,” the father stated.

According to a Guyana Times report, the grieving man explained that he had to see his son’s body before he believed that he drowned. After the young man failed to resurface, a search party was launched, but there were no signs of Allicock. On Thursday afternoon, the elder Allicock said that he received a phone call informing him that his son’s body was sighted.

He immediately gathered his other sons and they went into the river and managed to pull the body ashore. The father refuted claims that his son was shot on Tuesday evening during a pirate attack. “The body was recovered; let the Police check to see if he has any bullet wound… I don’t understand where they got that information from,” he noted.

The now dead man was charged for the murder of Wendell Tappin and was convicted of a robbery charge and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The case was appealed and he was granted bail in the sum of $400,000. Three other brothers who were suspected to be members of a “Hot Skull” group were also convicted and were presently serving time in prison.

Allicock leaves to mourn his four children, parents and siblings.