US teen drowns in Linden during Boxing Day outing

Jan 09, 2025 News

Kaieteur News- An 18-year-old man from the United States drowned on Boxing Day, December 26, 2024, while celebrating his birthday in Linden.

Dead is Demarius Willabus Payne, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and had travelled to Guyana with family members to mark his milestone birthday.

US teen drowns in Linden during Boxing Day outing

Dead: Demarius Willabus Payne

According to Payne’s aunt, Onica Narr, the family had been enjoying a boat trip on the Demerara River at Coomacka Mines in Linden when disaster struck. Payne, along with other relatives, was in a small boat when it capsized and began to sink. “Unfortunately, while he was swimming, he caught a cramp and panicked. As a result of that, water entered his lungs,” Narr said.

Other family members were able to pull Payne from the river in a semi-conscious state, but despite their efforts to rush him to the Linden Hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police confirmed the incident, stating that the body was escorted to the Linden Hospital Complex, where Payne was declared dead on arrival. A post-mortem examination was performed on December 30, 2024, by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh. “The PME was done on December 30th, 2024. Dr. Singh gave the cause of death as drowning,” the police reported. The body has since been handed over to the family for burial.

Following the devastating loss, Payne’s family expressed their grief on social media. His aunt, Onica Naar, posted a heartfelt message on Facebook: “I woke up today praying this was just a bad dream but it’s not. My heart can’t begin to process the amount of pain I feel. Mario, it hurts, and it hurts even more having to see you fight and take your last breath yesterday. All you wanted was to spend your 18th birthday with your family. It’s unfair to know that you are so full of life and it was taken away from you. Only God knows best. And I pray that my family has the strength to deal with the loss we had yesterday. Mario, I love you. Rest in peace, my nephew.” The family is now mourning the sudden loss of a young man full of life, taken too soon.

(US teen drowns in Linden during Boxing Day outing)

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Dead, Demarius Willabus Payne, drowning, Linden

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