Two men are missing after the tug they were on was hit by heavy rains and high winds early Friday morning about eight miles off the Golden Fleece, Essequibo foreshore.
Up to press time, the men who are feared drowned, had not been found and searches were continuing.
Police said in a press release yesterday that the river mishap occurred around 0030 hours, adding that investigations so far revealed that motor tug William J had been tied to a pontoon that was being pulled by another tug, Sea Quest.
Four men, Captain Roopnarine, 59, of Albouystown, Sailor Ray Richards, 19, of Kuru Kururu, Engineer Terrence Hinds and another sailor known as ‘Douglah’ were aboard the William J when tragedy struck.
The release went on to say that the vessels which had been en route to the Waini area encountered heavy rains and high winds causing the tug William J to take in water and sink. The tow rope leading from the pontoon to the Sea Quest also snapped and the pontoon drifted and ended up at the Queenstown, Essequibo, foreshore.
The police did not say how many persons were on board that vessel.
Roopnarine and Richards had managed to grab on to a ‘fish pen’ post in the water and had been rescued around 8 am Friday by the crew of a passing fishing vessel. Hinds and ‘Douglah’ had not yet been found, the release said.
