A FIFTY-one-year-old farmer was discovered dead floating in a drainage canal in the Golden Fleece backlands on the Essequibo Coast around 17.00hrs on Tuesday afternoon.According to reports, the farmer Khemraj known as “Derick,” who was suffering from epilepsy and alcoholic problems went to the backlands on Tuesday afternoon to check on his rice field and while returning home suffered an attack of the disease and fell down on the dam. Reports said the father of two, who was alone, probably rolled on the dam during the epilepsy attack and fell into a nearby drainage canal and drowned.

A daughter of the farmer, Ms. Reshma Khemraj, said her grand-mother, Patsy who lives a short distance from where her father fell into the canal saw a body floating around 5:00 pm and raised an alarm. She said neighbours ran to the scene and discovered that the body in the canal was that of Khemraj her father. According to Reshma, her father’s hat and slippers were found on the parapet of the canal.
The police were informed and they rushed to the scene. The body of the farmer was retrieved from the canal and taken to the Suddie Funeral Parlour. An investigation is under way. (Rajendra Prabhulall)