The bodies of two men were found floating in the Essequibo River yesterday, hours after they went missing and their boat was found adrift with the engine idling.
Vijai Lallmoni and Solendra Bhookmohan were employees of St Mary’s Quarry and had left for Bartica to purchase groceries for their kitchen when they went missing.
Police from Regional Division #7 at about 11 am yesterday went to Agatash Village along the Essequibo River where they discovered two bodies floating face down about 20 feet from the western shore.
The body of Lallmoni was clad in a black jersey and black trunks with no footwear and was identified by his wife Rozana Lallmoni. Priya Bhookmohan identified the other body as that of Solendra Bhookmohan. The body was clad in a grey vest, camouflage jogger pants and green boxers with no footwear.
The two bodies were taken to the Bartica Hospital mortuary, where they were officially pronounced dead.
A missing person’s report was filed by Rozana Lallmoni at about 7.15 pm on Monday at the Bartica Police Station for both men. The woman told police that her husband (Lallmoni) and his co-worker boarded a wooden boat, and left for Bartica to purchase goods for their kitchen.
Investigations revealed that Rozana travelled on the Essequibo River to an area called Sachrilla Bay and found the boat adrift with the engine idling and no sign of the victims.
Calls to the victims’ cellular phones went unanswered and she then proceeded to the Bartica Police Station and made a report.
Ranks visited the scene on Monday evening and examined the boat which was adrift in the river. A search effort was immediately launched. However, there was no sign of the two men, and the search efforts continued until the bodies were found yesterday morning. The victims are suspected to have drowned. Investigations are ongoing.
