The body of a miner who went missing on Monday evening after the boat he was travelling in capsized in the Mazaruni River was discovered yesterday morning.
Twenty-four-year-old Orlando Billy Graham of Sisters Village, Long Pond, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and two other men were said to be returning from Puruni, Mazaruni where he had been operating for the last three months.
Stabroek News made efforts to contact police and the Maritime Administration Depart-ment (MARAD) for updates on the accident to no avail.
Though relatives know Graham’s body has been discovered they say they are still not entirely clear on the circumstances surrounding his demise. The two other men, one reportedly the man piloting the boat and another, referred to only as `Micey’, survived the accident and were able to swim to shore where they were reportedly rescued by a group of Brazilian miners.
Graham’s sister told Stabroek News yesterday that `Micey’ broke the news to Graham’s older brother, Floyd Graham, after he was rescued. `Micey’ supposedly told Floyd that he, Graham and another man left the Puruni platform and were travelling to Bartica when their boat, which they bought in Puruni, “turned over” two hours from the Puruni landing.
