Girl, 10, drowns while clearing rice field

Kaveena Ramnauth, 10, of Adventure on the Essequibo Coast and former student of Suddie Primary School drowned yesterday, while helping her family to clear a rice field.

Relatives of the girl were left in shock after the mishap. According to her mother, Nandranie Ramnauth, the family had gone together into the rice field after lunch to clear it for the following morning. The water in the field was high and muddy. After cleaning for some time, the members left Kaveena and her fourteen-year-old sister Gooby in the field and went unto the dam. Kaveena assured Gooby that she would be out of the water and not expecting a mishap the older girl joined the others on the dam.

After talking with the others for several minutes, she realized, “Kavie na com out.“ She then asked her mother, “weh baby?” Her mother replied to her inquiry by saying, “gal me na know. She may be drowned.“ Realising what she said, she raised an alarm and the neighbours and members who were there came to her rescue. They then began searching for Kaveena. Several minutes passed and a neighbourhood boy found her body sunk in the mud. When her body was retrieved, she was pronounced dead by onlookers.

The police were informed and they responded immediately. The investigating ranks concluded in their report that the girl did drown.

When Stabroek News visited family members that afternoon they were still mourning her death since she was performing very excellently in school and the youngest family member.

She leaves to grieve her five siblings, parents and other loved ones.