(Trinidad Guardian) Home to some of the country’s most beautiful animals, the Caroni Swamp is often visited by people hoping to spot a Scarlet Ibis.
Since Sunday evening, however, groups of people were instead hoping to find missing crab hunter, Johnny Sookdeo.
On Tuesday morning, after being stranded in the swamp for close to 43 hours, the 59-year-old was found by a search group.
He was covered from head-to-toe in mosquito bites, but in a good condition and in even better spirits.
“He made a journey of about three miles. From west of the Ocean to inland. We found him opposite the number four channel,” said Navin Kalpoo, one of the men who found him.
“He didn’t know what direction he was going in, but he looked at the clouds and his surroundings and headed in that direction,” the tour operator added.
According to Kalpoo, of Kalpoo’s Ibis Tours, after being dropped off in a boat to catch crab on Sunday, Johnny said he felt sudden tiredness later in the day.
He then decided to rest.
Eventually, as night came he decided to sleep until the sun came up the following day.
“He walked, walked until night reach again, Monday night. He slept again. He had nothing to eat and he drank water off the pinecones. The water from the pinecones saved him,” Kalpoo said, recalling a conversation with Sookdeo.
Then, on Tuesday morning, at around 9.30, his family’s prayers were answered.
Johnny was found.
“He saw a boat pass him. We spot him at a distance in the mangrove and we started to shout at him,” Kalpoo recalled.
Sookdeo was taken to a nearby health centre for treatment.
According to relatives, he is in stable condition.
