HEAVY bolts of lightning and thunder experienced in Region Seven (Mazaruni/Cuyuni) yesterday afternoon  struck a boat transporting students of Bartica Secondary School on an outing, knocking the captain clean out of the vessel and into the turbulent waters of Kartbo Point, Mazaruni, causing him to disappear.

Despite search attempts, late yesterday, the 51-year-old Captain, whose name was given as Daniel Colinet of Bartica, had still not been retrieved. As the lightning hit the captain, survivors said, he was instantly separated from his life jacket and violently flung into the river, leaving the jacket behind, and the vessel temporarily without a pilot.
However, a student who knows how to operate the boat impulsively gripped the rudder and took control of the vessel which he drove safely to the nearest landing. The heroic student was identified as Ravi Crème.
Another casualty of the disaster was 13-year old March Klass, badly traumatised and complaining of pains to the head and ear, was taken to the Bartica Hospital for medical care.
The tragedy struck minutes before 16:00 hrs and contact was later made with Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford who, together with police ranks visited and made an inspection of the vessel, then took reports from the students on board. There were reportedly 13 students aboard the fibre glass vessel, operated under the name ‘Lady Emma.’