One boat captain missing after collision, other captain arrested

Last Updated on Monday, 30 May 2022, 16:25 by Denis Chabrol

A boat captain disappeared two days ago when his boat collided with another vessel at Jawalla, Upper Mazaruni, and the other captain has been arrested as the probe continues, the Guyana Police Force said Monday.

The collision occurred at about 5:45 PM on Saturday May, 28, 2022 resulting in the disappearance of 40-year-old Fabian Sam of Jawalla Village.

At the time of the incident Fabian Sam was operating a 35-foot long boat, powered by a 30 HP outboard engine, while the other 30-foot boat was, with a 15 HP engine, was captained by a 48-year-old resident from another village in the Upper Mazaruni Region.

The 48-year-old captain is in custody assisting with the investigation, police added.

Police said Sam was navigating his boat along the Mazaruni River with five occupants and upon approaching the confluence of the Mazaruni and Kukui Rivers, the light from the boat captained by the 48-year-old man was observed approaching head-on from the opposite direction.

“An occupant in Sam’s boat, Charles Hernandez, in an attempt to get the other boat to change direction, flashed his torch light in a bid to avoid a collision but to no avail. The boats subsequently collided, which resulted in Fabian Sam being thrown overboard, and Charles Hernandez was injured and became unconscious,” the Guyana Police Force said.

Police added that Hernandez, was transported to the Kamarang Hospital and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.