Guyanese feared dead as two drown in T&T mishap

Feb 08, 2011 News

---

AN EARLY morning lime aboard a pirogue off Indian Bay in Chaguaramas ended in tragedy early Sunday morning when the pirogue overturned and two persons drowned while another is missing and feared drowned.
Two bodies were recovered and up to late yesterday members of the TT Coast Guard (TTCG) were still searching for the third person. Also involved in the search are the TT Special Anti-Crime Unit (SAUTT) Helicopter Viper 2 and the TT Air Guard.

The drowning victims were identified as Derek Cardinez, 49, of Emerald Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin and Shakeena Martin, 19, of Bhagaloo Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas. The third person, who is still missing and feared drowned, is Guyanese national and father of two, Brian Surez, 35, of Longdenville, Chaguanas.
According to an official report released by the TTCG, about 4.40 am the TTCG received a call from the E999 police that a blue and white hull pirogue named Al Mu’min overturned with seven persons onboard near Pier 1 and the Kayak Centre.
The report stated that four persons, including the pirogue’s owner, Captain Reynold De Souza and boat mate “Keishoon”, made it to shore while three persons were still in the water.
Coast Guard Interceptors 024 and 025 were immediately deployed to conduct surface searches in the area. The release stated that a Coast Guard dive team was deployed to conduct underwater searches, whilst co-ordinated searches were being done by 024, 025, SAUTT Helicopter and the TT Air Guard.
The report stated that SAUTT helicopter Viper 2 spotted two bodies and vectored Coast Guard vessels to their locations, where Cardinez’s body was recovered just south of Telephone Bay and Martin’s body was recovered just off Carerra Island. Both bodies were fished out of the waters and taken to Staubles Bay, where they were viewed by the District Medical Officer who ordered the removal of the bodies to the Port-of-Spain mortuary.
Newsday was told yesterday a group of friends including Joan Dyer-Aldolphus of Richplain, Diego Martin; Krystal Valdez, 21, originally from Trincity but currently residing at Lange Park, Chaguanas; Cardinez; Martin and Surez were bathing at Indian Bay and saw De Souza nearby in his pirogue. They called out to him and begged for a ride in the pirogue. De Souza agreed and the five bathers swam to the pirogue and boarded it.
It was when they were returning after a ride out to sea and De Souza turned the boat towards shore that a large full fuel container began to roll about with its weight causing the pirogue to tilt and overturn.
Dyer-Aldolphus, Valdez, De Souza and Keishoon managed to swim to shore, but Cardinez, Martin and Surez were nowhere to be seen. Cardinez, who only has one leg and moved around on a pair of crutches, and Martin’s body were eventually recovered, while up to late last night Surez’s body was still missing at sea.
Yesterday, outside the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) Estate Police Headquarters, relatives of the drowned victims gathered to comfort each other. Achoya Narcis, Surez girlfriend and mother of their seven-month-old daughter, Ariel had to be consoled by her cousin, while her father, Achoy Aguillera looked on in dismay.
Achoya said she last spoke to Surez earlier on Saturday night and was told by him that he was at the barber and that he had to do things for his church and also to collect his vehicle. She said that he gave no indication that he was going to lime with friends in Chaguaramas. Achoya said he also had a five-year-old son, Brenton. She added that he was a self-employed contractor.
She described him as a “very quiet, decent, friendly and loving person.”
“Earlier this morning I got a call and was told that my man was dead. I really could not believe what I was hearing. His mother even thought he spent the night by me.” Surez was a member of the Arouca Revival Tabernacle.
Cardinez mother, Mary, 73, said that her son was the younger of two children. She said she last saw him on Thursday night and did not know of his whereabouts. “He just left home and I just thought that he going to lime. Although he had one leg, that never stopped him from going out.” She also revealed that he was in discussions with UTT officials to get a prosthetic leg.
Mary claimed that she was told by his friends of the freak accident and also that he may have drowned during his attempt to save others who were thrown overboard.
“I really don’t know what happened but I was told that he died trying to save one of the girls who was liming with them,” she said.
Valdez’s mother Jerone, when contacted yesterday said she was thanking God for saving her child since she almost drowned as well. Jerone said that Valdez was warded at the POSGH in a stable but serious condition. “They just have her there for observation. She swallowed a lot of water but most likely they would keep her there for about three days”.
Jerone said that her daughter was also picked up by her friends, Surez and Martin, to go on the lime. Officers of the Carenage Police Station are continuing investigations.

---

---