THE body of 51-year-old boat captain Daniel Colinet, whom lightning flung into the Mazaruni River during a thunderstorm late Monday, was recovered at Wolga Beach along the Essequibo River on Tuesday morning, and buried that same afternoon at Bartica.

The hasty burial following the recovery was because the corpse had been in the water under the intense heat of the sun; and to have kept it longer risked decomposition.
Regional officials considered that Colinet’s remains had floated down river with tide, before being discovered by fishermen at low water level; and risking decomposition of the body would have effectively intensified the agony of the bereaved relatives.
Colinet’s already bloated body was taken by the police, when alerted to the find, to Bartica Hospital and examined by doctors.
Officials at the Regional Office confirmed that the Administration would take responsibility for Colinet’s interment; he had piloted the ‘Miss Emma’ to transport schoolchildren to and from school.

Tragedy
The vessel was on its schoolchildren transporting mission when tragedy struck on Monday afternoon at approximately 15:50 hrs. Lightning struck Colinet, burning his life jacket off his body, and flinging him into the Mazaruni River.
He was next seen again on Monday, when his remains were found.
Fortunately for the passengers on the boat, after Captain Colinet disappeared in the turbulent waters of the Mazaruni River, a brave and quick thinking schoolboy immediately assumed control of the vessel, and safely piloted the craft for the remainder of the journey to Kartabo Point. That lad has been identified as Ravi Crème of Bartica Secondary School.
Another schoolboy, Marco Klass, who was among those on board the vessel, suffered shock, and was transferred on Monday night from the Bartica Hospital to the Georgetown Public Hospital(GPHC), where his condition is improving.
Captain Colinet leaves to mourn several brothers and sisters, including his elder sibling Vera Colinet of Mongrippa Hill, Bartica.