A sawmill worker died yesterday after he was electrocuted on the job in Rosignol, Berbice.

David Smartt, 19, of Welcome Street, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice succumbed at the Fort Wellington Hospital, where he was rushed after being electrocuted.

David Smartt

Stabroek News understands that the incident occurred some time around 2 pm yesterday.

Smartt was working at the Osman and Sons Sawmill at Rosignol when the incident occurred.

It is unclear what led to the electrocution but this newspaper learnt that Smartt was barefoot at the time. Sources at the Fort Wellington Hospital stated that at first it seemed that Smartt had sustained head injuries until the burn marks on his hands were pointed out.

Meanwhile, Smartt’s mother, Pamela Smartt, was distraught after learning of his death. Someone at the hospital, she said, called her and asked her if she knew what had happened to her son. She said when she visited the sawmill it was closed. A clerk told her that everyone was at the hospital. However, when she visited the hospital she learnt that her son had died.

According to Pamela, the young man had been working at the sawmill for a number of years. He was his family’s sole breadwinner. In addition to his mother, the man cared for four siblings, including 14-year-old twins. The family is poor and lives without electricity, the woman noted.

When owner of the sawmill Thanvir Ali was approached at the hospital for a comment he was not in a position to do so.