ERIC Randolph Forde, 26, of Met–en–Meerzorg, West Coast Demerara, drowned at a Parika wharf, East Bank Essequibo, on Monday.

His body was found the same evening, following a search that started after he went missing.
The Barakat’s Interior River Transportation Service employee had been helping to offload, from a truck, goods weighed on a scale for packing onto a nearby jet boat.
Supervisor Vivekanand Phralad said that, about 17:00 hrs, he was in the vessel changing his clothes to assist in the process when he heard other men shouting and, as he hurried to the scene, he saw Forde overboard.
Phralad said he knew Forde was not a good swimmer and ordered him to come out of the water, while he, himself, continued to change but, subsequently, learnt that the man was carried away by the current.
Phralad said, at the time, the tide was very high and he instructed Forde’s co-worker, Sham Khan, to assist. The latter plunged into the deep waters but Forde disappeared.
Owner of the business, Feroze Barakat said he organised a party to look for Forde but instructed the men to wait a few hours until the strong current changed.
He said they installed portable lighting, as he felt that Forde was still in the vicinity of where he fell and, as the water level lowered, they resumed searching about 22:00 hrs and succeeded in finding the body next to a pole.
Police from Parika Station and family members were informed of the find.
Stacy Forde, sister of the deceased, said her brother left home at around 07:00 hrs for his Regent and Light Streets, Georgetown workplace and sometime in the afternoon, boarded the truck for the Parika backdam wharf where he met his tragic demise.
Telephone call
She said she was at home when she received a telephone call indicating that he was missing after plunging overboard to retrieve a weight for a scale.
The young woman said she knew her brother could not swim well and alerted family members and friends in the neighbourhood.
Upon arriving at the location, she said she saw the truck, scale, jet boat and the distressed workers seated but Barakat informed her that he was not there when the incident occurred.
She said, shortly after, the other men discovered her brother’s body, bleeding from the mouth and a liquid flowing out of his nose.
Barakat said he extended his condolences to the family and indicated that, after the post-mortem results are made known, his company will be ready to contribute, in every way possible, to the arrangements for Forde’s burial.
He said the company, like the dead man’s family, has suffered an irreplaceable loss, as Forde was always willing, honest and punctual at work and could have been relied on to execute any task given him.
Forde’s mother, Desiree stood strong, amongst support from family members, friends and villagers.