Four days after a Venezuelan diver drowned during the ongoing operation to salvage the MV Barima ferry, the Guyana Police Force has released information about the incident.
The dead diver has been identified as 66-year-old Luis Martinez.
According to a Police statement issued on Sunday morning, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 6:30pm in the Essequibo River, 10 nautical miles off the coast of Anna Regina.
The report stated that Martinez and other crew members departed a wharf in Kingston on Wednesday evening to participate in the efforts to salvage the vessel in the Essequibo river.
At the location, Martinez reportedly entered the water to carry out diving operations, but he failed to resurface after approximately 20 minutes, causing concern among the crew members and forcing them to pull him from the water using a rope that was attached to his body.
The man’s body was pulled from the river in motionless state with frothing at the mouth.
The Police said Martinez was subsequently transported to the Transport and Harbours Department Wharf at Stabroek, Georgetown, where ambulance personnel were summoned. He was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty on Thursday morning at around 2:30am.
A post-mortem examination is to be performed on the man’s body.
The BK International company was awarded the contract to salvage the MV Barima ferry at a cost of over $1 Billion.
Details of the salvaging operation have not been released. The MV Barima sank off the Essequibo Coast on the 18th July, claiming the lives of over 100 persons. The remains of more than 30 persons are still to be recovered.
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