Latest update September 28th, 2026 10:20 AM
Adriana Younge earned spot at Leonora Secondary at NGSA
Eleven-year-old Adriana Sueria Younge, who tragically passed away last April
Kaieteur News – Eleven-year-old Adriana Sueria Younge, who died tragically in April, was awarded a place at Lenora Secondary after securing 446 marks at the National Grade Six Examinations (NGSA).
Adriana, a resident of Hyde Park, Parika, had recently written the examination when she was reported missing on April 23 during a family outing at the Double Day International Hotel and Bar in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. She was last seen by her grandmother around 13:01hrs on April 23 while swimming in the hotel’s pool.
Her body was discovered the next day — nearly 20 hours later — in an upright position in the hotel’s swimming pool, despite earlier searches of that same area.
Family members reported visible bruises and scratches on her knees, elbows, face, hands, and toes. Strangely, her body showed no signs of bloating, a condition typically associated with drowning victims. These observations only deepened suspicions surrounding her death.
Before her body was found, police and hotel staff reportedly attempted to convince the family that she had been abducted from the premises. The discovery of her body in the pool sparked national outrage, violent protests, and widespread calls for justice.
The first post-mortem examination, conducted on April 28 by a three-member international forensic team, including Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul (Barbados), Dr. Gary Collins (Delaware, U.S.), and Dr. Glenn Rudner (Mount Sinai, U.S.), concluded that the cause of death was drowning.
However, the team could not determine the time of death or confirm whether Adriana had inhaled pool or tap water.
Her funeral was initially scheduled for May 5, but was postponed at the last minute after Adriana’s parents and close relatives expressed doubts over the findings of the first autopsy. Feeling they still had many unanswered questions, the family chose not to proceed with the burial.
Determined to get more clarity, they arranged for a second autopsy in the U.S. Her body was flown to Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr. Carol Terry conducted the procedure.
In an interview with journalist Travis Chase, Dr. Terry called the case “highly suspicious” and emphasised that only a thorough investigation could determine whether Adriana drowned or was murdered. “At this time, drowning cannot be conclusively stated as the cause of death,” she said.
After two months, her body was finally laid to rest last Sunday at the Vergenoegen Burial Ground, East Bank Essequibo.
The solemn farewell marked the end of a deeply emotional and public period of mourning for a young girl whose mysterious disappearance and death captured the attention and heart of an entire nation.
Share this:
Discover more from Kaieteur News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Similar Articles
Website Hits
Blunt of the day
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
