Two feared drowned in Cuyuni River

Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 September 2023, 16:46 by Denis Chabrol

Two men are now feared drowned after they disappeared from a rock in the middle of the Cuyuni River where they sought refuge when the boat they were travelling in sank, police said.

They are 44-year old Kevin Musa of Pomeroon and another man whose only name has been given as Alvin.

The boat mishap occurred at about 6:40 PM on September 12, 2023  a short distance from Kurutuku Village, Upper Cuyuni River.

Police said that at about 6:30 PM, Musa and six of his co-workers, including Alvin, were consuming alcohol at Kurutuku Village when they stopped a metal boat which was powered by a 75 Yamaha HP engine and asked to be transported to their mining camp about 20 minutes from Kurutuku.

Captained by Raul Jarvis,36, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, the boat was initially carrying 14 drums of diesel and two other occupants from Devil Hole Landing to San Martin Landing.

With the addition of Musa and his co-workers, the vessel then had 10 persons.

“About ten minutes into their journey, the boat captain was navigating a small rapid when the boat struck a rock, causing the boat to take in water. As a result, the occupants jumped out of the boat and swam to shore, leaving Kevin Musa and Alvin on a rock in the middle of the Cuyuni River.

Police were told that Alvin and Kevin were heard shouting for a few minutes, then the stopped. “They’re believed to have drowned,” the Guyana Police Force said in a statement.

A search party, including police and soldiers, were searching for the missing men.