…Mother regrets allowing son to go out at sea
The body of 20-year-old Otto Lamar Petrie of Lot 90 Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) who went missing following a suspected pirate attack a few days ago was discovered Sunday on the Abary Foreshore, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
The discovery was made by a search party, which was led by Police Officers. The discovery of Petrie’s body came 36 hours after the body of his colleague was found in the same location.
The body of 36-year-old Kawal Kissoon, also called “Ajai”, of Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne, was discovered on Friday with his hands bound behind his back and his feet tied together. However, it was not until Saturday that his body was identified.
Petrie’s body was in an advanced state of decomposition. His hands and feet were also bound.
On October 5, the two men, along with Marvin Tamesar also called “Buddy” and “Bin Laden”, 20, of Miss Phoebe and Vishnu Seeram, called “Kevin”, 20, of the same village, left from a wharf at Number 65 Village for sea aboard Sara 1 — a fishing vessel owned by Sharanand Rabindranauth of Number 68 Village, Corentyne.
Sara 1 found on the Foreshore at Wellington Park, Corentyne on Friday afternoon, but none of the crew members were found. The owner was contacted and after the boat was inspected, the Police were called in.
Following the discovery of the body on Sunday, members of the grieving families flocked a funeral parlour at Number Five Village, West Coast Berbice, to assist in identifying the body.
Onicka Simon, the mother of the dead man, told Inews that her son had on the same clothes he left home with on October 5.
“That is how I know that is him,” she said. The almost inconsolable Simon, after seeing her son’s body, blamed herself for allowing him to go out to sea.
“Is I tell him that he got to find a work to do, and when he ask me if he could go …. I should have tell him ‘No’. He don’t know nothing about the water out there,” the grieving mother wailed out.
“That is my son; that is my son and I know that they kill he. All he wanted to do was to work and help out,” the single parent related.
Petrie was the eldest of six siblings. According to his mother, he wanted to make a difference, but now he will never get a chance to do so. “He was just in the prime of his life,” she noted.
Petrie had been in the fishing industry for the past three years. However, he had only worked on small boats before that did not venture far into the ocean.
Since the family moved to the Corentyne late last year, he was unable to find work and it was only last week he was contacted by the Captain of the boat to join his team. He informed his mother of the offer and permission was given for him to go ahead.
“He came and told Lemar that they need one more person to go out to fish and when Lemar told me, I tell him that it is okay because he ain’t getting no work,” Simon said.
Meanwhile, the search continues for the two other fishermen Tamesar and Seeram. The four men were expected back before the end of the month.
