A search is ongoing to locate the body of Police Lance Corporal, Jermaine Batson, who is feared to have drowned in a boat incident that took place in the Puruni River, Mazaruni on Tuesday, the same day that he was celebrating his birthday.
According to reports, Lance Corporal Batson was in the company of another Policeman, Constable Quincy Marks and boat captain, Ransdale Melville on Tuesday morning traveling along the Puruni River when tragedy struck.
A report from the Guyana Police Force this morning stated that the men were carrying out patrol duties in the wooden boat when the engine of the boat went dead as the captain navigated upstream through rapids. Water made its way into the boat and a section of it started to sink.
Investigators were told that as the boat started to take in more water, Lance Corporal Batson jumped into the river, as the boat with the other Policeman and the captain drifted downstream.
The two men who remained in the boat were able to eventually jump onto a rock in the river and prevent the boat from being carried away by the current.
The boat was secured, and the Police report said Lance Corporal Batson was spotted holding onto a tree branch in the river on the opposite side. He reportedly shouted to the other two men that he was unharmed and inquired about their status.
The Police report said while Constable Marks and the boat captain were bailing water out of the boat to restart the engine, they noticed that L/Cpl Batson was no longer visible.
After conducting a brief search and failing to locate him, they proceeded to restart the boat and continued their search efforts.
The Police said when the search efforts proved unsuccessful, Constable Marks and the boat captain walked to a nearby mining camp and were able to access Wi-Fi and report the incident.
Search operations continued in the area and a full investigation is currently underway as there is still to be any sighting of Lance Corporal Batson.
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