Boy’s drowning in reservoir…Cops seek 15 yr-old who fled scene

Feb 20, 2013 News

– relative suspects foul play

Police are searching for a 15-year-old male of Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje, Berbice who was in the company of the 8-year-old boy who drowned in an underground reservoir in the village last Saturday afternoon. Emmanuel Welch, of Lot 9 Sheet Anchor, met his demise while playing near a sand pit.
New details are coming to light in the incident which now seems to be taking an interesting turn. Additionally, the boy’s foster mother, Nadira Toolsie strongly believes that the boy was pushed into the reservoir.
Toolsie said she had returned from work just after 16:00 hrs on Saturday but did not see him at home. She enquired and was told that he was playing with friends. After being informed that the boy was playing near the sandpit, a few blocks away, the woman ran towards the scene and found the boy lying in the water, lifeless.
Toolsie recounted that she started to care for him as a one year old. His mother, she said, was of unsound mind and died two years ago, “and I still continued to take care of him”. The whereabouts of the father are unknown, “and they were going to give him away and take him to the orphanage but I took him and ‘mind’ him from a 1-year baby—it real hard, because he is the only company I had with me in the house,” she lamented.
Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Toolsie related that a 15-year-old male, only name given who resides at a section of the village under the Canje River Bridge, Sheet Anchor, disappeared after the incident on Saturday.
Toolise stated that the missing boy “very cruel and come from a very cruel family”. She stated too that “my little boy don’t really mix with him” but somehow he ended up playing with the teen that afternoon. The mother believes that the lad, when found, would be able to shed light into what really happened that fateful afternoon. “If he didn’t do anything, why he run away?” she questioned.
The compound, which formerly housed the Ministry of Public Works several decades ago, is now used by Ameerally Construction Services (AMACO) for selling sand, etc. The 12-ft deep reservoir in the compound was once used by the Public Works Ministry for water retaining purposes during that time.
When Kaieteur News visited the compound yesterday, the reservoir was still uncovered. It is the view of many that the reservoir is a health risk/hazard and should have been covered since there are a lot of children who play near and in the compound regularly.
An employee of Amaco stated that the reservoir will be covered by next week.
“By next week we should cover it off”. He added that the company had put gates on the compound and covers on the reservoir but these were either vandalized, removed or destroyed by persons.
“We put gates and so, but people breaking the gates…we did put a cover [on the reservoir] but people carrying away the covers— breaking and pulling it out”.
The reservoir, he stated, is also used by persons from the village doing laundry there. “That thing always get water; it never out of water.”
A post mortem examination performed Monday by Government Pathologist, Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan, revealed that Welch died of asphyxia and drowning.
Region 6 Chairman, Mr. David Armogan, whose trucking, sand and stone service is located next door to the location and sand pit, stated that he was very familiar with little Emmanuel.
“Every time I go there, he always would call me! And I carry him all about, to all the Rotary Club Christmas parties and so on. When I saw his photo in the Kaieteur News, I was shocked…he was my little friend,” Armogan reflected.
Armogan has volunteered his truck to be used during the funeral procession which will be held today. The boy will be buried alongside his mother at the Kildonan Cemetery.

Latest News

Boy’s drowning in reservoir…Cops seek 15 yr-old who fled scene

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day...

Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards...

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel &...

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as...

Moraikobai village two days football competition...

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support...

Features/Columnists

Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animals!

Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will

Christmas – reality and possibility

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Boy’s drowning in reservoir…Cops seek 15 yr-old who fled scene

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]