Miner found dead in Mazaruni river with chest wound

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a miner, whose body was found floating in the Mazaruni River close to Kamarang, Region Seven on Saturday, reportedly with a suspicious wound to the chest.

Wendell Kendall

Dead is Wendell Kendall, 37, of Palmyra, East Berbice.

His Canada-based wife Desley told Stabroek News yesterday that she did not have any information on how he died and was awaiting a post-mortem examination, scheduled for tomorrow. She said she did not view the body but another relative did and said that there was a suspicious wound to the man’s chest.

The woman said she would usually communicate with her husband via satellite phone and spoke with him last Tuesday. He was based at Chi Chi in Region Seven. She said that after she failed to hear from him subsequently, she called and his partner (the pilot of a plane) answered. He informed her that her husband was missing. Desley, who returned to Guyana on receiving news of her husband’s disappearance, told this newspaper that she has not had a chance to speak with the pilot as he is still in the interior.

Stabroek News was informed that following the disappearance, the pilot and a few persons from the Chi Chi area launched a search. Kendall’s body was found on Saturday floating in the Mazaruni River.

Meanwhile, Divisional Commander (ag) Deryck Younge had told this newspaper earlier yesterday that a man had been found floating in the river at Chi Chi close to Kamarang. He did not have a name for the dead man but said that the police are looking into the matter.

Younge said that according to the information received, the dead man was on a plane that was delivering goods when the pilot told him that he would have to be left behind as his weight made the aircraft too heavy.

When the pilot returned, reports said, the man was missing and his clothing was found.

This newspaper was subsequently informed by Kendall’s relatives that his clothing was found on the bank of the Mazaruni River.

The body was flown out of the area on Sunday and is at the Lyken’s Funeral Home.