Bodies of quarry workers found floating in Essequibo River

Last Updated on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, 17:31 by Denis Chabrol

The bodies of two workers of St Mary’s Quarry were Tuesday morning found floating in the Essequibo River, hours after the boat they were travelling in was found adrift, the Guyana Police Force said.

They are Vijai Lallmoni and Solendra Bookmohan who were identified by their wives Rozana Lallmoni and Priya Bhookmohan respectively.

They were reported missing on Monday evening after their boat was found adrift in the Essequibo River with the 40-horsepower engine idling.

“The victims are suspected to have drowned,” police added.

Police said investigators went to Agatash village along the Essequibo River, where one of the bodies was found floating face down about 20 feet from the western shore, and they then proceeded to the Puerto Rima area in the Essequibo River, where the second body was found floating face down about 300 feet from the western shore.

The two bodies were photographed and processed, after which the bodies were escorted to the Bartica Hospital Mortuary, where they were pronounced dead by Dr Barclay, police added.

The recovery of the bodies followed a report by Rozana at about 7:15 Monday evening at the Bartica Police Station that her husband and

Rozana Lallmoni, a 28-year-old Cook, at about 19:15 hrs last evening, went to the Bartica Police Station where she reported that her husband and Bhookmohan were missing

The woman told Police that her husband and his co-worker boarded and left for Bartica to purchase goods for their kitchen.

“Based on information received, the woman went in the Essequibo River to an area called Sachrilla Bay and found the boat adrift, with the engine idling and no sign of the victims. After calls to the victims’ cellular phones went unanswered, the woman proceeded to the Bartica Police Station, where she made a report,” police said.