By Vanessa Braithwaite
THE bloated body of 24-year-old Tabhita Small, known as ‘Tambi’ of South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, who leaped to her death on Tuesday from the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge, has floated ashore.Passersby spotted the body floating in the river in the vicinity of Wismar, less than a mile from where the woman had jumped overboard.

Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus told this newspaper that the body was found approximately 06:30 hrs Thursday and was taken to Georgetown for a post-mortem examination.

On Tuesday, the young woman jumped to her death shortly after being discharged from the Mackenzie Hospital, after spending one night. She was being treated for tuberculosis and was diagnosed with the infectious disease two years ago.

The young woman was involved in a fight with a shop vendor minutes before she jumped. An eyewitness said she seemed unstable and was acting in a suspicious manner.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the young woman belonged to a very humble Rastafarian family, who depended on nature, mainly for survival. It was said that her father is skilled in herbal medicine.

One neighbour, who did not want her name mentioned, said that Tabhita was a very quiet and friendly girl whom she spoke to only Sunday. “She always smiling and she always call you by name and stuff, very quiet girl, but she is friendly…she would come and play with my niece whenever she visits the shop, it really breaks my heart to know it was her, she was the friendly one among the bunch,” said the neighbour.

This is the first case of suicide in Linden this year, even as other cases have been recorded across the country. In December 2013, Linden businessman Collis Mentis drove off the Mackenzie /Wismar Bridge to his death in a 4X4 Tundra.