In light of the tragic death of 10-year-old Akira La Rose and her 11-year-old cousin, Joylyn Jack at the Enchanter Creek along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway on Sunday, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn told operators of creeks to ensure warning signs, barricades and lifeguards are installed at their facilities by Saturday.
Benn was at the time meeting with creek operators and water-based activity providers on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
“I would like to see signs go up at those places now! I would like to see every resort have lifeguards and lifering, or at least a life raft and similar equipment. Additionally, there must be a barricade where our young ones can’t go past a certain limit, I would like to see these things done by Saturday. I would also like to see warning signs put up,” the Minister stated.
He stressed that if these measures are not implemented, and no preventative measures are in place to handle accidents, it could negatively impact Guyana’s tourism product when foreigners see the amounts of lives being lost in the top places that are deemed ‘tourist attractions.
He warned that the lack of safety measures contributes to a general chaotic appearance of the country, which is unsustainable.
Minister Benn also pointed out that in comparison to other countries like America, various steps have been taken to curb such tragedies, and Guyana can follow suit stating that it will save numerous lives.
“I’ve been to places overseas like Canada, and in most of their water resorts, there was a lifeguard, paddle boats, and someone checking on safety now and again. We can do these things and enhance the income and attendance at these places but in a careful and structured way. We can’t be afraid to make changes and insist on them, because any change we make should make things better. So, we need to decide here and now whether we want to get serious,” Benn said.
He emphasised that Guyana has not yet put anything in place to deal with these issues. “If we put these rules in place and people do foolish things that result in casualties, that’s a different matter. But as of now, we don’t seem to have anything in place, so that’s my first proposal.”
He also raised other proposals in support of these measures, stressing the importance of making creeks and water-based activities both safe and attractive. He suggested that the government may need to provide funding to help implement the necessary safety features, noting that some creeks may be too narrow and require technical adjustments.
However, amid this frequency of tragic deaths, Benn admitted that the government must also take responsibility for these incidents. He further urged them to take safety measures seriously.
“There’s no use in running these operations if you don’t have safety measures in place. There’s no use if you allow a free-for-all where people are drinking, carousing, fighting, and jumping off bridges. There will always be a tragedy, whether it’s someone falling, diving and breaking their neck or head, or simply being drunk so we need to decide if we are ready to get real about this.”
It was reported that on Sunday at about 15:30h, the two young girls went missing while playing in the creek. La Rose of Lot 95 Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and Jack of Lot 1726 Tuschen, WCD, were part of a family gathering with their grandmother, Allison Klass, 53, and Joylyn’s father, Oswald Jack.
After the alarm was raised, a search party was formed, and the girls were eventually found in the water, unresponsive.
They were rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre by police and public-spirited persons but despite efforts to revive them, both were pronounced dead on arrival at the medical facility.
