Latest update December 19th, 2024 2:23 AM
Soldier’s body recovered in Pomeroon River
Relatives of the Guyana Defence Force soldier who had disappeared in the Pomeroon River last Sunday night are anxiously awaiting the results of a post mortem examination which is to be performed on his remains today.
The body of “Ordinary Rating (OR) Darwin Simon, who was a member of the GDF Coast Guard, was recovered yesterday and brought to the city.
Dead: Darwin Simon
Simon was on duty last Sunday night with two other soldiers in the Lower Pomeroon River, when he reportedly jumped overboard in an attempt to retrieve his hat, which had fallen into the river.
The GDF in a statement issued on Monday stated that Simon and the two other soldiers, who were stationed at the Floating Base in the Pomeroon River, had just finished mooring their boat alongside the Floating Base at midnight on Sunday when it is reported he fell into the river.
“Efforts by the ranks to save him were unsuccessful,” the army statement said.
But although the army said that it had established a Board of Inquiry to probe the incident, family members are hoping that the post mortem examination will dispel any doubts surrounding Simon’s death.
One family member related to this newspaper yesterday that the young soldier, who had left Georgetown for a three-month stint in the Pomeroon a few weeks ago, had spoken to his girlfriend via telephone at around 18:00 hours on Sunday, indicating that he wanted to return to the city.
The relative told this newspaper that sometime around 03:00 hours on Monday, the girlfriend received another call from the same number that Simon would normally contact her from, but this time no one was on the line, and it eventually went dead.
What is more baffling to relatives is the fact that Simon’s girlfriend returned the call at around 08:00 hours on Monday and the person who answered told her that Simon was sleeping and they would inform him about the call when he awoke.
“When we look back, this was after the time they said he died,” a relative stated.
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