A TWENTY-year-old lad who fell into a pool while going after a ball during a water sport at Kwakwani, Berbice River, last Monday narrowly escaped drowning, but having sustained a severe spinal injury is now warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital(GPH) in a critical condition. Damian Deodharry, of Lots 6 & 7 West Road Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, who is a self-employed salesman,had travelled to Kwakwkani on Monday to conduct business. Later in the afternoon, he and some friends went swimming at the Kwakwani Bush Pool when, around 16:00hrs, misfortune befell him.
Friends related that they were playing with a ball which fell into the pool and Damian went after it. They recall that after plunging in, he did not immediately come up from under the water and so they presumed he was showing off his diving skills.
But after about two to three minutes had elapsed and he still did not come up, they became concerned and one of his friends dived after him. He found Damian in an unconscious state and dragged him up to land. Someone in the group quickly performed artificial resuscitation on him and a Good Samaritan, Mr. Samaroo, volunteered to transport him to the Kwakwani Hospital. There he was given initial treatment and was moments later transported to the Linden Hospital, arriving there around midnight. The Mackenzie Hospital wasted no time, and having done all they were able to do, evacuated him to the GPH by 04:00hrs. Tuesday morning.
At the GPH, scans done on him determined that Damian had landed on the back of his neck and suffered a spinal injury. As a result, he is now lying in a hospital bed, motionless. Damian claims to have lost sensation in both hands and both legs. And even though fully conscious and able to communicate verbally when visited by the Guyana Chronicle, he has lost feelings in his chest and abdominal region.
A Computerised Tomography Scan (CT-Scan) is to be conducted to determine the extent of Damian Deodharry’s injuries.