Mystery surrounds Tour Guide’s death in Interior

Aug 04, 2014 News

The brother of a 42-year-old Tour Guide is patiently awaiting the results of a post mortem examination to be conducted on his older sibling, since he is not convinced of the man’s alleged cause of death.
Andy Narine, Vice President of the Guyana Amazon Tropical Bird Society, told Kaieteur News that last Thursday his family received word that his brother, Kooldeep Looknauth, president of the Society, had died by drowning.
Narine said Looknauth, also known as “Sanky” was attached to the tour group, Rupununi Trails, and had been in the Rupununi community with (a named) senior official of the Dadanawa Ranch.

Dead: President of the Guyana Amazon Topical Bird Society Kooldeep Looknauth

Narine said that last Monday, his brother had contacted the family from Lethem and was heading to another location where he was supposed to render assistance to some United States scientists who were conducting work in the area.
Narine said that was the last time the family would speak to their relative.
He said that a few days later they were shocked when the named official of the Dadanawa Ranch called to relate the man’s death and was asking whether the family would agree to have the body buried in a shallow grave in the interior.
This publication was told, however, that information emanating from Region Nine was that on Monday, the Ranch official had abandoned Looknauth in one of the indigenous communities and carried on to the ranch. The deceased allegedly spent Monday and Tuesday nights at the homes of friends as he tried to make his way to the Ranch.
It is alleged that on Wednesday, Looknauth took a ride with a Conservation International vehicle, which dropped him up to a point called “The Junction” in South Central Rupununi where he continued to the Ranch.
Staffers of the Dadanawa Ranch allegedly found Looknauth’s body on Thursday with only his shirt on. Narine said the family was told that Looknauth’s cell phone was found in his pants, which was hanging on a tree about 200 metres from his body.
Narine said that the family was told that his brother may have tried to swim over a river which leads to the Ranch but drowned in the process. Narine is not convinced by the explanation given and is even more confused that one of the US scientist, “who does not know my brother”, should drop off his belongings at his Georgetown residence.
He said the Ranch official is giving no clear explanation to what actually took place. Looknauth’s body was brought to the city and the police are looking into the matter.