FOUR of the 11 men who were involved in the horrific mining truck smash-up at Mahdia last Tuesday remain hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) under close medical watch. Seven of the men were air-dashed to the city in critical condition nursing multiple injuries, while four others (in less serious condition), were treated at the Mahdia Hospital and remained at that location.
Those still hospitalised at the GPHC are David Durante, 48, of Linden; Lynden Alleyne; Malcolm Grimes also called “Teach”; and Mikey Gouveia, 16, of Green Field, East Coast Demerara.
Among those discharged from the GPHC was Charles Burrowes, 52, also called “JJ.” Burrowes, who was driving the truck when it crashed, is also owner of the mining camp which suffered the disaster. Even though discharged, the driver who suffered a hard blow to his chest among other injuries, is still complaining of pains.
Meanwhile, Durante suffered injuries to his head and face, and had five teeth dislodged. He also suffered injury to his right eye and his vision remains blurred. He is to be referred to the eye clinic for tests and optical treatment.
Also in a serious condition is 16-year- old Mikey Gouveia, who suffered injuries to his head and back. He is experiencing spells of a deliria and hysteria and has had to be restrained to his bed. Having joined the crew about four months ago, it was his first trip to the gold-mining interior.
Malcolm Grimes is being treated for a fractured arm and shoulder, ruptured abdomen and is to return to theatre for surgery. Lynden Alleyne sustained a broken left hip and minor abrasions about the body and is immobilised.
Tragedy struck around noon last Monday, as Burrowes was transporting his miners back to camp for lunch after clearing a new mining site at Mahdia.
The injured men recalled that while in the vicinity of Salbora Trail, 111 Miles Mahdia, Region 8, the steering of the truck transporting the 11 men cut loose, causing the truck to run off the trail. It slammed into a tree stump and overturned.
Writhing in pain as he spoke with the Guyana Chronicle, Durante recounted that the accident happened so fast, it was even difficult to fathom how it happened. “When it slammed into the stump, everybody bounced out of the truck before it turned over,” he said, indicating that it was sheer involuntary evacuation.
Durante recalled that even before leaving camp to travel to the new mining site on Sunday, he had a premonition they should not travel to the area on that day, but to go up on Monday instead. He communicated that feeling to the “Boss Man” and others, but the party travelled on Sunday as planned, worked on Monday morning and were returning to camp to have lunch when they crashed.
But even in their pain, suffering and distress, the camp suffered another blow, with the “stripping” of the truck left on the roadway.
Reports are that in the frenzy, no one was left to oversee the safety of the crashed vehicle, and in the absence of the mining crew, valuable parts were removed from the truck by persons passing that way. The police have been informed.