A man is in custody assisting police with investigations into the death of a boat operator.
Andre Thompson of Number   28 Village, West Coast Berbice, was killed, after a tug, belonging to Oldendorff Carrier Guyana Inc, which at the time was pulling two pontoons, crashed into his boat, prior to trapping him in the Berbice River, shortly after 04:30 hours on Saturday. Prior to the incident, the 42-year-old father of three was asleep in the 30-foot single engine boat at De Veldt, about 40 miles from New Amsterdam. The incident occurred as the tug navigated a turn in the waterway where the now dead man’s boat was moored, and ran into it.
Eyewitnesses said as the tug approached the wooden boat, Thompson awoke and jumped into the water, and was pinned under the tug.His body was later discovered as the tide receded hours later.
According to the tug captain,Godfrey Conway, he  had dozed off and did not see the smaller vessel in the waterway.
Eyewitnesses claimed that shortly after the incident, the captain attempted to sail off, but was shouted on by persons in the area.
Thompson’s widow, Sandy, who resides with her family at Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice, was in a daze when she was approached by reporters.
The woman stated that while her husband would leave home periodically for the riverine community, she could not say what business he was into,  except that he would purchase items for his sibling’s shop.
Meanwhile, ranks from the Central Police Station travelled to the community where the body was retrieved and taken to the New Amsterdam hospital where it is awaiting a post mortem examination.
Oldendorff Carriers, a company that tran-ships bauxite, offered no comment when questioned by the media.