The body of a 66-year-old man was fished from the Demerara River after he went missing following a night of drinking.

The body of Amos Pearson was found by residents of the riverrain community of Old England. It was found among a clump of bushes at the edge of the river. While information was sketchy, Stabroek News understands that Pearson’s brother-in-law is in police custody at Linden, assisting with investigations.

Reliable sources said that Pearson was out drinking with his brother-in-law Gregory Savory and other friends in the community, approximately half a mile from where his body was discovered. It was reported that Pearson had dropped off Savory using a paddle boat before continuing his journey home.

Relatives only became suspicious when his paddle boat was found about a quarter of a mile from his home on Sunday morning. There was a loaf of bread in the boat but Pearson was not found. An intense search of the area and the river was conducted by a party of residents but it yielded no results.

The search continued yesterday morning and Pearson’s body was found among a clump of bushes along the river bank. According to a resident, from all indications Pearson had drowned. Asked if there were any marks of violence on the body, the resident said none were evident.

It was also reported that the man usually frequents the beer garden in the area and would use his paddle boat to get home after consuming his fill of alcohol.