Three drown as boat capsizes in Demerara River
Tragedy struck at the Diwali celebrations Fun Day organised by the Linmine Secretariat at Watooka, Linden, when three persons perished, including a two-year old boy, after a speed boat capsized in the Demerara River, just close to the shore aback of the Watooka Club Guest House. Just before 18.00hrs, as the celebrations were about to begin in earnest, onlookers were horrified as the loaded vessel with adults and children, reportedly captained by Amrit ‘Oscar’ Giles, overturned on approaching the landing.

Among the many who were on hand were Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo and Guyana Labour Union President Carvil Duncan. 
Some public spirited citizens, including Junior Barrett and Mark Sullivan plunged overboard to assist those in trouble.
A count was made when the passengers were all on shore and it was discovered that three were missing.

They were Quacy Miggins, aged 2 of Old Kara Kara Linden, 12-year- old Mackenzie High School student Melinda Duggan, of Block 22 Wismar, and 20-year-old Kishana Hollingsworth, of 387 One Mile Wismar. 
Scores of residents converged on the Watooka Club, and up to press time, none of the bodies was recovered.
Relatives of the missing persons were inconsolable as they wept, including Miggins’ mother, Pearl St. John, who was a passenger in the boat with her two year old son.
She had to be rushed to the Mackenzie Hospital, where she was admitted for observation.
It was only last year the relatives of both Hollingsworth and Duggan were bereaved when a family died by drowning at the Watooka Pool. 

It was observed that several of the passengers who were in the boat yesterday had no life jackets on.

One observer said that the boat was coming in to dock too quickly and as it turned the passengers were thrown at one side and the boat turned over.