A postmortem examination performed on the body of Michael George, a former University of Guyana valedictorian who died on Sunday last, gave his cause of death as “drowning compounded by blunt trauma to head”.
The examination was performed by government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh. The body has since been handed over to relatives.
The Guyana Police Force said a report will be completed and advise will be sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the way forward.
George, who hailed from La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD), had gone to the Parika waterside with three of his friends for a pre-birthday hangout when the incident occurred.
A family member told this publication that the father of two was at home, when his friends called him out to go and “hang”. His family subsequently received a telephone call that the man went under water just minutes after he went in to swim.
As his friends rushed to the scene, they found his motionless body; and the police was immediately summoned.
The friends told investigators that they tried to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but they could not have saved him.
George was the valedictorian of the West Demerara Secondary School Class of 2005. He was also the valedictorian for the UG Class of 2010, where he had pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. He had graduated with distinction and had earned the President’s Medal.
