Drowning at Blue Water Lake

May 04, 2014 News

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…family calls for full probe

It has been almost one month since 22-year-old Jemel Tumumba Thompson met his demise during an excursion with his colleagues in Linden, but his family remains persistent in their calls for a full investigation, as well as justice for the former Qualfon employee.
Reports are that on April 6 last, about 45 persons ventured to Blue Water Lake in the mining town to enjoy themselves but one of them, who was said to be under the influence of alcohol, fell into the water below a hill.
Responding promptly to the emergency, Thompson and another friend who were considered good swimmers plunged into the creek, but sensing danger, the friend turned back.

In his persistent bid to save the friend, Thompson met his demise. About one hour after he disappeared, Thompson’s body was reportedly found with no signs of a heartbeat or pulse. In the meantime, the young man who had fallen overboard was found alive with minor injuries.
This is the story that has reached the ears of Thompson’s relatives. But speaking to Kaieteur News recently they related that they are not buying that version of events and are calling on the police to facilitate a full probe into the issue.
Marsha Thompson, mother of the deceased, recalled that her son left home around 10:00 hours that morning but she had believed that he had used his day off to venture to her sister’s Regent Street home to play video games with his cousins.
Unbeknownst to her, he boarded one of the three buses loaded with Qualfon employees and ventured to the mining town where he subsequently met his demise.
It was not until she received a ‘strange telephone call’ that she realized something was amiss.
“It was like four o’clock, two girls use his phone, pretending to be his girlfriend and call me and asking a set of strange questions… asking me if I know where my son is… or who he left with… then they tell me that they have something to tell me and they will come by the next morning to tell me.”
She noted that it could not have been her son’s girlfriend since the young lady was on duty at the time at Qualfon.
“Then one other girl called stating that he (my son) had an accident after he went into the creek to save someone. The person said he is on his way to the hospital but I didn’t believe what the person was saying so I insisted they tell me what really happened to my son.”
The mother stated that she immediately called her daughter Carletta Thompson and family friend Mark Lewis, who both reside in Linden, requesting that they venture to the local hospital to see what had truly transpired.
She explained that she received yet another call from his friend “Timmon” who used to work with the company stating “he heard something happen to Jemel but the girls them behaving stupid and he can’t confirm anything.”
Marsha stated that it was after all the calls of uncertainty that word finally came from the company.
“The Manager called stating that from what he “gathered” it was a “prank” gone wrong and Jemel was under water for fifteen (15) minutes.”
She said that the phone call was followed by a visit from the Manager to their Lot 129 Barr Street, Kitty home where she was told that her son had died.
According to the woman, that was the last day she ever heard from the company.
Displaying receipts of payment for training sessions from a swimming school, the mother said “My son can swim. I believe that my son was killed and thrown overboard.”
“Even the diver told us that there is no way Jemel died from drowning. We have pictures where you could see that his neck was broken and he was tied with some sort of string.”
“Imagine there were three bus loads of people there and no one could’ve helped him. I can’t understand this. One person said that she saw him go down two times, but no one saved him?”
His father Orin Thompson claims “Jemel was lured to a place by people he trusted and they took his life… yet the police state that they will not be investigating.”
He said that they made several attempts to interest police ranks to probe the case to no avail.
“The police told me let me check with the pathologist. I don’t believe they investigated my son’s death. They just selected four persons and questioned them. I honestly wouldn’t want another mother to go through something like this.”
“Our son didn’t deserve what he got. Jemel was dead long before he even went into that creek,” the parents alleged.
“I have to get justice for my son’s death. I feel it in my heart that my son was killed. What he was killed for and by whom I don’t know but my son was killed,” said the father.
The post mortem report issued by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh revealed that he died as a result of asphyxiation and the antecedent giving cause of death was cited as drowning.
(Sunita Samaroo)

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