Impatient porter drowns trying to swim home

Jun 13, 2021 News

Kaieteur News– A 22-year-old porter of Four Miles, Port Kaituma, drowned on Thursday when he tried to swim across the Barima River in the North-West District, to head home after he grew impatient of waiting on the water to recede at the river.

According to a police report, the deceased, Franklyn Benjamin, was a truck porter and would assist in delivering food supplies and fuel to various back dams. About six days ago at 6:00 hrs., Benjamin and a crew left for Port Kaituma, to deliver food supplies as they would normally do.

About two days after, while on their way back home, he and the crew were forced to stop at the Barima River, where they spent two days, waiting on the water, which had prevented them from crossing the river to recede. According to the report, this caused the porter to grow impatient, and he proceeded to swim across the river to head home.

Whilst in the middle of the river, Benjamin had shouted for help and his crew members tried to rescue him but their efforts to reach him were futile. The porter eventually went down into the water and did not surface again. His body was subsequently fished out of the river by the crew members and taken to Port Kaituma Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. Investigations are ongoing.

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