PM reveals fishermen drowned ‘drunk’

Feb 06, 2014 News

Post mortem examinations conducted on the remains of the two fishermen, whose bodies were recovered at the Meten-Meer-Zorg foreshore Monday morning, revealed that they both drowned.
This is according to Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, who also disclosed yesterday that both men had substantial alcohol in their systems.

Dead: Sahadeo Bhagwandat

The men, 47-year-old Sahadeo Bhagwandat known as ‘Jango’ and 46-year-old Ramdeo Sijogie known as ‘Bobby’, were reported missing since Saturday after the two went to the foreshore to ‘set’ seine intended to catch fish. The men’s bodies were in fact found tangled in the very seine that they had set days earlier.
While both bodies bore signs of decomposition, this publication understands that Bhagwandat, who resided at Lot 8 Rail View, West Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, had a noticeable injury to his head. Sijogie’s body on the other hand hadn’t any evidence of injuries. He resided at Lot 188 Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, with his two brothers.
The theory surrounding the men’s death is that Bhagwandat fell through a bridge near the foreshore and attempts were perhaps made by Sijogie to rescue him which resulted in both men drowning. “The bridge has a lot of holes and so they probably fell through…both of them were drinking from early in the day; they left home already drinking,” a reliable source told this publication. “I understand they took a bottle of rum with them to the foreshore,” the source added.
According to Rajkumarie, Bhagwandat’s wife of 22 years, her husband has been an alcoholic for many years and she recalled that he was drinking before he left home the day he and Sijogie went missing.
The mournful woman said that while it was her son Nandkumar who identified Bhagwandat’s remains the death certificate revealed that the man had suffered a gaping wound to his head.
Nankumar disclosed that his father had left home on Friday afternoon in the company of Sijogie to set the seine and the two had returned Saturday morning to retrieve it. He disclosed that his family became concerned when nightfall came and his father had not returned home. Moreover, several efforts were made to locate Bhagwandat; neither man could be found at the foreshore or elsewhere until Monday morning when both bodies surfaced.
Sijogie’s remains were buried yesterday and Bhagwandat is slated to be buried today.