Woman dies in Essequibo River boat collision

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 August 2014, 12:32 by GxMedia

A woman was killed early Saturday morning when the boat she was travelling in collided with a small cargo vessel on the Essequibo River in the vicinity of Riverview/ Goshen..

Demerara Waves Online News was told that the boat was returning to Goshen from Bartica when it slammed into the cargo boat that usually transports large quantities of agricultural produce.

Dead is Nicole Mayers,20, a housewife and mother of one. She resided at Goshen.

The Toshao for Riverview, Melina Pollard said the accident occurred about 3:40 Saturday morning about 300 feet from Riverview.

Pollard said the privately-owned boat sank.  The three other persons were taken to the Bartica Hospital for treatment to minor injuries, she said.

One of the passengers of the ill-fated vessel said he was still in shock. “It shock me. It really traumatize me. We were travelling home from a lime in Bartica and we collide with a big greens (vegetable) boat,” said Terry Williams. He said after the collision, he and the three others swam to the cargo boat that took them to Goshen.

While the captain of the small vessel was being interviewed by investigators at the Bartica Police Station, Williams said the captain of the cargo vessel was not seen after the incident. 

Williams claimed that no light was switched on aboard the cargo boat until the collision. “The big boat didn’t have any light. It is after we collide with them then they put on the light,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.