Tragedy at Linden…
A FOURTEEN-year-old boy of Block 22 Wismar, Linden yesterday perished by drowning at the popular Watooka Pool.

The death of Malcolm Forde yesterday afternoon sent shockwaves throughout the mining town, especially his family members who were all inconsolable when they heard the tragic news.

Forde’s mother, Patricia, was wailing and crying uncontrollably along with other family members after they arrived at the scene of the tragedy.

Upon receiving the tragic news, the distraught mother ran to the area where her son was placed on the decking of the pool after his body was taken out.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the boy was playing with friends in the pool around 17:00 hrs and he must have hit some part of his body, presumably his head, while in the pool.

This newspaper was told that, as fate would have it, the Life Guard on duty, Devon Allicock, had just slipped away to go into the wash-room area when the teenager apparently fell into the ‘deep of the pool’ and drowned.

Reports are that the Life Guard was then summoned from the washroom area and he immediately did CPR on the teen but he never recovered.

By then the pool was empty and even the friends who had been with Forde disappeared from the scene after the incident.

It appears that a red substance came out of Forde’s mouth while CPR was being done, and which reportedly had the ‘smell of wine’ and ‘a touch of a strong drink’.

However, his mother was alarmed at the scent of the red substance which was visible at the side of her son’s mouth, prompting her to ask aloud if he had indeed been ‘drinking’.

Forde attended his family’s church in Wisroc earlier in the day but had told his mother he was going to the farm with friends.

Patricia said she was unaware that her son was destined to reach the Watooka Pool. It seemed that Malcolm Forde could not swim and it was strange that he and his friends would venture into the area knowing that he could not swim.

One eyewitness said Forde and ‘a crew’ went to the pool and they were ‘playing in the water while having fun’.

It was felt that Forde must have hit himself and went down without much of a struggle and drowned immediately before anyone had realized his peril.

His mother lamented: “He was my first born (son) after six girls.” The visibly distraught woman said her now deceased son was the one who helped her out a lot at home in doing many things.

She was, however, strong in her faith as they all attended a church at Wisroc close to where they live in Block 22.

She said this tragedy could not move her from her belief in the Almighty God as she screamed: “Satan is a liar.”

Many officials of the Watooka Pool including Chief Executive Officer of the Linmine Secretariat, Horace James and members of the Linmine Constabulary and the Guyana Police Force, including its CID ranks, were also present at the scene of the drowning.
Investigations are ongoing.