Mining Surveyors feared dead after boat sinks at Imbamadai
Mining Surveyors feared dead after boat sinks at Imbamadai
Kaieteur News – Two mining surveyors are now feared dead after a metal boat owned by the Guyana Geology and Mines Comission (GGMC) reportedly sank on Thursday in the Mazaruni River at Imbamadai, Region Seven.
Terrence Thomas
The missing men have been identified as Terrence Thomas, 29, of Lot 140 Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown and Jermain La Rose, 34, of Lot 34 Canvas City Wismar, Linden, 10, former employees of GGMC . According to police the boat mishap took place around 04:00hrs.
Jermaine La Rose
Police reported that the Mines Officer in charge of the GGMC Station at Imbamadai Landing, Romell Ramlakhan, told them that the men flew in on Wednesday to Imbamadai. When they arrived he was doing some work at Kamarang and had only met them when he returned to Imbamadai later that afternoon. They reportedly told him that they had come to do some work and requested lodgings at the GGMC station there. Ramlakhan, said that he noticed that the men were preparing to travel around 03:00hrs the following morning and insisted that they wait for daylight. Thomas and La Rose refused to wait and said that they wanted to leave early because they had a long journey.
He reportedly dropped them to Imbamadai landing on an ATV to board a boat and returned but did not know that they were actually going to use the GGMC boat for their trip. The men had reportedly arranged to make the trip with an unlicensed captain, Roman Reece who normally captains for GGMC, without Ramlakhan’s permission. Reece, told Police that he and the men boarded the boat with a bow man around 4:00hrs to head to Kako Village, Upper Mazaruni Region Seven. Onboard they had some 40 gallons of fuel and ten signs to be erected on a mining claim they were going to survey.
Some two minutes into the journey, the boat began taking in water and La Rose and Thomas reportedly jumped overboard. The boat eventually sank but Reece and his bowman were able hold onto some fuel tanks and swam to shore but La Rose and Thomas could not be found. Police at Imbamadai were informed subsequently after and a search party was formed to look for the men. However, up to press time they were not found. The unlicensed boat captain is in custody assisting with investigation.
