Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 23-year-old Michael Saffee whose body was on Thursday found floating in the Mahaicony River a few days after the boat he was captaining capsized during a test drive.
Saffee resided at Grove, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Reports are that at around 17:05h on Tuesday, Saffee and the boat owner took the metal vessel equipped with a 48 Yamaha outboard engine out for a test drive in the Mahaicony River.
While they were about one mile away from the Mahaicony Stelling, the boat gave a “sudden spin” and capsized, causing both the owner and Saffee to fall overboard.
The owner alleged that he managed to swim to the corner of the river but he did not see the captain.
Sometime after, the owner was picked up by a passing boat which took him to the stelling at Central Mahaicony where he went to Police Station and made a report.
The scene was visited by police officers who noticed a chain tied to a tree trunk and next to it, the boat and engine were submerged. The boat along with the engine were then towed to the Mahaicony Police Station where it was lodged and handed over to the Station Sergeant for safekeeping.
A search was carried out for Saffee and at about 09:50h on Thursday, his body was discovered by his father floating on the southern side of the Mahaicony River.
The body was removed from the river and checks were made by the police for marks of violence.
“What appeared to be a wound was seen on his mouth and what appeared to be blood was seen oozing from his mouth and nostrils,” police said in a statement.
Investigations are ongoing.
