GDF rank feared dead in Essequibo River boat mishap

Dec 19, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Yesterday, a search was ongoing for a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard Private, Junior Kenroy Sooklall, 24, after he reportedly went missing on Friday when a boat he was in capsized in the Essequibo River. Sooklall, according to reports, was stationed at Fort Island, Essequibo River.

Dead: GDF Private, Junior Kenroy Sooklall

According to police, the GDF Base Commander for Fort Island, Staff Sergeant 18990, Everette Tudor of 659 South “B” Field Sophia, Georgetown, and three other persons were intoxicated while they travelled in a privately-owned “unregistered” boat.
It was noted that when questioned by police, the boat captain, Ramesh Beepat, revealed that they were travelling from Fort Island when the 17-foot, wooden boat with a 150 HP Yamaha outboard engine hit a wave and capsized. The mishap occurred at around 16:45hrs on Friday in the vicinity of St. Lawrence.
Detectives related too that a breathalyser test that was conducted on Tudor showed that he had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .101 micrograms in the first reading and .114 micrograms in the second reading.
Police detectives explained that the boat captain, Beepat, had BAC readings of .132 and .118 micrograms, and Turendra Lochan’s (another passenger of the boat) reading was .108 and .119 micrograms. Beepat is a 28-year-old who resides at Lot 2 Old Road Le Destin, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), and Lochan is a 28-year-old barber of Zeelugt, New Housing Scheme, EBE.
According to police, a GDF rank, who was passing the area where the boat capsized, heard persons shouting in the river and observed that some passengers were stranded. As the ranks quickly went to the direction of the persons, they observed four men in the water and two others in a green and black boat a few metres away.
A group of soldiers was dispatched immediately and they managed to rescue the stranded persons. The ranks then took the rescued men to Mangal’s Wharf, after which a report was made to the police.
The others, who were rescued were 14-year old Eon John, a student of Parika Primary School who resides at Lot 2 Le Destin, EBE, and 16-year old Ryan Beepat, a student of Lot 2 Le Destin EBE.
A search and rescue team was dispatched to the area in search of Sooklall but up to press time, he was not found. The search is expected to continue today as investigations continue.