Fleeing gunmen can survive for 30 days without food

Jun 13, 2008 News

– medical expert

While the security forces are optimistic that the fleeing bandits may not be able to survive for too long without food in the rough jungle up the Berbice River near Kwakwani, there are others who are convinced that the men could survive for as long as 30 days without food.
“They could survive for up to between four and seven days without water. Of course this depends on their previous health conditions,” the medical expert told this newspaper.
He pointed out that there would be no shortage of water in the jungle at this time. Food supplies are ample, he said. “The men could feast on anything sweet such as berries that are in abundance in that type of environment,” the doctor said.
The Joint Services ranks pursuing gunmen in the Christmas Falls area are convinced that the men are still in the general location. This was based on signs that the fleeing gunmen are cutting trails heading in a southerly direction into the dense jungle.
A source close to the operation said that the gunmen cannot cross the Berbice River in the location of Christmas Falls and Itabu Falls at this time.
The rains have made the falls treacherous and earlier this week, soldiers trying to cross the Berbice River in the general area had a torrid time. The source said that soldiers were seeking to rappel across the river to get to the side where the gunmen are but they failed.
At this point the option was to use a boat but the vessel capsized in the rough waters between the falls. There were no reports of injuries, leading to the speculation that the vessel was empty.
The information is that the gunmen are therefore on the Kwakwani side of the river but they cannot reach Kwakwani because of the terrain. A source said that the men could head toward the Corentyne River and reach Siparuta or Orealla but they would confront the security forces.
The security forces are convinced that should the men head further south they will be continuing in hostile terrain and it will be almost a miracle if they survive.
The source could not say if the men who are believed to be about six in number are still together or they have split up.
He explained that the bandits will have to travel about 100 miles in thick jungle before they could reach any form of civilization.
The source said that the Joint Services will remain in the area for however long it takes to capture the bandits or retrieve their dead bodies.
And Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee told this newspaper that he is cautiously optimistic that the security forces will come out successful in the present operation.
He based his caution on what he described as some complexities that have arisen because of the terrain that the security forces are operating in.
He, however, said that at the end of it all, capturing the gang and controlling the crime situation will end successfully in the long run.
“They (bandits) are without food, without clothing, and no communication. The Joint Services are better trained and equipped to deal with this kind of terrain. They are on a survival run. The odds are that they will not survive,” Minister Rohee posited.
But Kaieteur News understands that the men who are said to be highly trained may have more than a chance at survival and the medical opinion seems to support this.
This newspaper was told that the camp that was stormed by the security forces was situated on a hill with a clear view of the surroundings.
According to a source who was in the area, the gunmen’s hideout was facilitated by four escape routes, two of which were secured by the security forces prior to the attack.
However, he said that the men used the other two escape routes to flee.
He explained that the dead gunman, Otis ‘Mud Up’ Fiffee, was putting on his boots when the security forces launched their attack, catching him by surprise.
This is a slightly different version from a previous explanation which indicated that the security forces stumbled on two of the men who were armed.
It was earlier reported that Fiffee was shot dead while the other gunman who reportedly picked up his weapon managed to escape.

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Fleeing gunmen can survive for 30 days without food

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