The sister of Rudy Fernandes, who went missing following a boat accident over the weekend, yesterday identified his body which was discovered at Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara on Tuesday.
The man’s sister, Anita Fernandes, yesterday told Stabroek News that she positively identified her brother at around 1 pm yesterday. She said while the body is so decomposed that his face is unrecognizable she identified him from four gold teeth in his mouth and a tattoo. She said the body was in a coffin with ice somewhere on the West Coast of Demerara and police said because of the advanced decomposition it cannot be taken to a morgue. She said that a post-mortem would be performed on the body tomorrow and then they would bury the man.
The confirmation that Fernandes had perished in last Friday night’s boat mishap which occurred three miles out in the Atlantic Ocean brings the death toll to two. The body of 25-year-old Peter Duncan of Charlestown was found late on Sunday afternoon by Coast Guard members.
The boat, William II, that capsized with five fishermen is owned by Guyana Quality Seafood Ltd, New Hope, East Bank Demerara.
Surviving the mishap that occurred at around 11.30 pm on Friday were the captain of the boat, Rasheed Hussain of Craig, EBD; Vitendra Manhor of Grove, EBD and Malcolm Welcome of New Hope, EBD.
Hussain was rescued around 3 pm on Saturday while clinging to a fish pen post, but Manhor never made it to land until around 1 am on Sunday and he was forced to crawl on his hands and knees as his legs had given out. Welcome was rescued while clinging to the top of a fish pen where he had been since 11.30 am on Saturday.
