THE body of Laleta Sivanand, who went missing during an Air Services Ltd (ASL) outing to the Kaieteur National Park (KNP) on September 1, was yesterday cremated at the Good Hope Cremation Site.The emotional funeral ceremony according to Hindu rites, was performed before a modest gathering of mourners and sympathisers assembled to offer comfort to the bereaved — her husband Bobby; mother, Devi Panday; her brother, sister and other family members; and to pay their last respects to the departed.

Mrs. Sivanand had observed her 40th birthday a mere few weeks ago.

She was discovered missing from the ASL group of tourists while still at the falls as a tour guide was handing over snacks to the group. An alarm was raised and a search was mounted for her. The information was also transmitted to Air Services Ltd in Georgetown.

The park was closed off and a major search was initiated involving the Police, Guyana Defence Force, Park Rangers and other entities.

The search continued over several days, and was called off at the end of the first week.

Her body was spotted by a Park Ranger late last Saturday afternoon. The body was reportedly found in a rocky area at the bottom of the falls, and may have been submerged during high water levels, the Ministry of the Presidency said.

The body was on Monday flown to the Ogle International Airport and handed over to the Lyken Funeral Parlour, where it remained until yesterday’s cremation.

Family members embraced each other and wailed despondently as her body was taken from the hearse and placed onto the burning pyre; but although terribly grieved at her death and that there had been no words of farewell, they were still relieved that her body had been retrieved, and grateful to have been able to accord her a decent send off, ultimately bringing closure to a prolonged episode of deep grief.

The Ministry of the Presidency has expressed condolences to the bereaved relatives, and has thanked all those officers and entities who had supported the work of the Guyana Defence Force and police during the search and recovery exercise.
(Shirley Thomas)