Latest update December 20th, 2024 2:23 AM
Soldier collapses, dies during routine run
Dead: Lance Corporal Eon Blair
A soldier was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) early yesterday. This was reportedly after he collapsed in the vicinity of Umana Yana, High Street during one of his annual fitness runs.
Dead is 28-year-Eon Blair of Lot 305 Number 51 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
According to a statement from the Guyana Defence Force, the father of two was participating in the five-mile run with other members of his unit when he reportedly experienced chest pains while in the vicinity of Umana Yana.
The statement further stated that Blair was immediately placed into an ambulance and taken to the Force’s medical Centre in Camp Ayanganna, then subsequently transferred to GPHC, where he was pronounced dead.
But according to Blair’s family members, the 28-year-old man’s body was left right where he collapsed for several minutes and when it was finally moved, “it was dumped at the GPHC.”
The dead man’s uncle, Edward Reynolds, said that he was told that his nephew complained of having serious chest pains but that “the person who was in charge cursed him and forced him to run although my nephew was getting bad stomach pain.”
“I hear when he collapsed, they leave him there for a while and then take him to the hospital and again left him right there,” Reynolds said, adding that he was on his way to Georgetown when he received the call of his nephew’s death.
“I headed to the hospital and I when I reach I was looking for Army personnel but I didn’t see anyone so I went into the Accident and Emergency Unit and I ask the hospital staff if any soldier body come here and she said yes,” the uncle said.
He added that he was required to wait a while before he was permitted to view his nephew’s body. By then, he said, it was already wrapped in plastic and tagged off.
“He died in his Army clothes and I saw people from Lykens come for the body so I asked them to wait until I get an answer from the Army as to what happened but I wait and I wait but didn’t see anybody,” Reynolds said.
Lance Corporal Eon Blair has served the Guyana Defence Force for the past nine years.
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