Three persons are feared drowned after being put off in the Corentyne River from a “backtrack” boat plying the Guyana/Suriname Rive route on Monday evening.
Those missing are 48-year-old Sharida Hussein called ‘Sherry’ of Pilot Street New Amsterdam, 75-year-old Babuni Harrier called ‘Dorris’of Number Two Village East Canje, and Alwin Joseph believed of Suriname.
According to the police, Hussein, who was returning to Guyana, was in contact with her 19-year-old son. She reportedly told him that she was dropped off at Number 63 Beach at a specific point and that the water was at her waist level and the area was dark.
The teenager reportedly tried to call his mother again but the calls went unanswered.
The police say they subsequently learnt that there were two more persons who may have been dropped off at the said location at the same time.
The teenage son, Joshua Samaroo said his mother had been in the neighbouring country since last year.
Meanwhile, a granddaughter of Harrier told this publication what she heard transpired.
“We hear that the boat bring them over and drop them off. We don’t know exactly if they drop them on the shore of if they drop them on the sandbank… we don’t know exactly where they drop them,” the granddaughter told this publication.
She explained that her aunt in Suriname, who assisted Harrier into the small passenger boat, was not able to make contact with the pensioner at the time.
This prompted those in Suriname to alert relatives in Guyana. Harrier was expected to be dropped off at the Number 63 Beach. Her son, who lives at Glasgow, East Bank Berbice travelled to the Corentyne in the dark of the night and when he got to Number 63 beach he did not see his mother but rather saw others in search of their missing relative.
Meanwhile, Joseph, formally of Number 65 Village, Corentyne had been residing in Suriname with his wife and one child.
His cousin, Narinie Samcundar told this publication that whenever Joseph visits Guyana, he stays at her Number 65 Village home.
She said he called on Monday afternoon and informed her that he was coming to Guyana in the evening and would need someone to pick him up at Number 63 Village when he arrives.
Samcundar revealed that Joseph called a brother in the US and informed him that he had arrived in Guyana. With that, the brother contacted Samcundar.
When they arrived there, Joseph was nowhere to be found.
The police were contacted at about 2:00hrs on Tuesday morning.
In a release on Tuesday afternoon, the police said the search was continuing.
Suriname had closed its borders with Guyana as part of a series of measures to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Nevertheless, persons have been illegally crossing the river border by boat. (Andrew Carmichael)
