Wife of dead Pomeroon farmer seeking justice - recalls harrowing incident involving Coast Guard vessel

Wife of dead Pomeroon farmer seeking justice – recalls harrowing incident involving Coast Guard vessel

May 05, 2020 News

It has been more than two weeks since thirty-two year old Ryan Khayum lost his life in the Pomeroon River, following a tragic boat accident which involved a Coast Guard vessel. Chandanie Khayum, Ryan’s wife, is still traumatized following the incident. Despite her state of shock, however, Chandanie is still seeking justice for her dead husband.

What was left of the Khayums’ boat

On Monday, April 20th 2020, a vessel being piloted by the Coast Guard reportedly ran over Khayum’s boat. At the time of the accident, Chandanie, her husband and two cousins, were traveling in the 40-foot boat, which was shaded in the rear, and was powered by a 15hp engine.

The Khayums in happier days

She told Kaieteur News that everything happened so suddenly that no one was given an opportunity to react. The now widowed woman said, “One of my cousin shouted ‘ Boat! Boat!’ I was sitting flat under the boat shed, so I raise my head to see where the boat was coming from, but before I could’ve seen anything the boat was on top of us.”
She went on to relate, “The Coast Guard boat crashed into the stern, hitting my husband first – he did not have any time to jump or escape. That boat fitted flush in our boat, sitting in our boat until it eventually sinks it. The Coast Guard’s boat pinned my other cousin that was at the bow with the light. That is to say their boat covered our entire boat after rushing in from the back. He had to wait until our boat sink to swim out. The cousin that screamed ‘boat’ said he jumped flat into the boat next to me.”
She went on to detail her harrowing struggle to survive and what she said were ‘sloppy’ rescue efforts by members of the Coast Guards: “I cannot swim, but I remembered clinging to dear life, I remembered I held on to a fat man but that person kept losing my fingers and pushing me down, but I was not giving up. I gathered all my energies and yelled help with everything I had left in me before I lost consciousness. I was later told a nearby resident that came to our rescue that two of the coast guards held each of my ankles, and swimming with me towards their boat, my face facing downward in the water.”
Based on information reaching Kaieteur News, the Coast Guard captain originally arrested in relation to the incident has been released after spending 72 hours in police custody. The case file has reportedly sent to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice. Family members told Kaieteur News that they will continue to pursue the matter until justice is served.

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