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Couple swept away by strong currents at Unity Beach
(Kaieteur News) – Police and residents continued an intensive search on Monday for a young woman and a Special Constable who disappeared while swimming at Unity Beach, East Coast Demerara, after they were reportedly swept away by strong currents.
The missing persons have been identified as 20-year-old salesgirl Lyodisa Waldron, also known as “Loyda,” and 31-year-old Special Constable Andri Francis, called “Bobby.” Both are residents of Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara.
According to a statement issued by the Guyana Police Force, the incident occurred at about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at Unity Beach. Preliminary investigations revealed that Waldron and Francis were swimming together when Waldron reportedly began drifting further out to sea and encountered difficulties in the water.
The missing couple, Lyodisa Waldron, also known as “Loyda,” and 31-year-old Special Constable Andri Francis.
Police said the young woman raised an alarm and called for assistance as she was being carried away from shore. Francis reportedly entered deeper waters in an attempt to rescue her. However, both individuals were overtaken by the current and disappeared beneath the water.
Persons at the beach immediately raised an alarm, prompting a search of the surrounding area. Police ranks and residents conducted checks along the shoreline and nearby sections of the beach in an effort to locate the missing pair.
Authorities have not disclosed how far offshore the pair were when the incident occurred, but investigators believe strong currents may have played a role in the tragedy.
Unity Beach has long been a popular recreational area for residents of the East Coast Demerara, particularly on weekends and public holidays. However, concerns have periodically been raised about dangerous sea conditions and strong currents in sections of the Atlantic coastline.
An eyewitness told Kaieteur News that the water was rough and there were warning signs about the currents, but the young woman ventured out to swim. The witness explained that Waldron appeared to encounter difficulties while in the water, prompting Francis to go in after her.
“When she got into trouble, he went to try and save her, but he too was swept away by the current,” the witness recalled. The witness said the incident unfolded in full view of beachgoers and left many persons distressed. He noted that a lifeguard station was located at the beach but claimed that no lifeguard was present at the time of the incident.
According to the witness, a friend who was with him witnessed Francis struggling in the water and became frustrated by the apparent lack of rescue equipment. “He felt helpless because there was nothing available to assist. He said that if there had been a surfboard or some type of rescue equipment, he might have been able to attempt a rescue,” the witness said.
He expressed concern about the absence of lifeguards, particularly on weekends when the beach attracts large crowds. “A lifeguard could not only attempt a rescue but also warn swimmers about dangerous conditions and intervene when people venture into unsafe areas,” he stated.
The witness further noted that several onlookers told him there had been previous drowning incidents in the same section of the beach.
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THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
Oceans everywhere have dangerous tides.
RIP CURRENTS are the deadliest.
ONCE CAUGHT IN ONE, IT PULLS/GUIDES YOU OUT TO DEEPER WATER.
I have never had to experience one because I don’t go to bathe at beaches.
Authorities say, one must swim along the shoreline instead to fight the current
dragging you out into deeper waters.