By Ravin Singh
TWENTY-one-year-old Roshinee Pagwah of Reliance Abandon, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six, yesterday plunged to her death over the 741-foot Kaieteur Falls at about 11:00 hrs, sources have confirmed. She was later pronounced dead by personnel of the Ministry of Tourism.

According to Tremayne Junor, Roraima Airways’ Marketing and Public Relations (PR) Assistant, who was present at the scene, the young lady appeared to be very reserved during the trip to the world’s largest single-drop waterfalls.
She noted that Pagwah had travelled alone, and had appeared “withdrawn from the group” of 11 persons, which included two tour guides, a Kaieteur Ranger and a staff member of Roraima Airways – Junor.
When the tour at the site of the falls had ended, and everyone was heading to the trail which leads to the airstrip, Pagwah had joined the line, but had made an about turn, running without making any kind of sound before leaping over the falls, Junor told the Guyana Chronicle.
Asked whether any attempt had been made to intercept Pagwah’s dash, Junor declared, “No one could have saved her. The tour guide did a constant head count, and he was doing everything he was supposed to, but she moved too fast for anyone to react.”
The only initial reaction to the leap-of-death, Junor said, was when one man had shouted, “Hey! That woman is going to jump off!”
Junor said she had even taken photographs of the young woman at the falls, upon her request.
According to shocking reports which surfaced last evening, Pagwah had allegedly been suffering emotionally ever since her boyfriend Emran (only name given) had committed suicide five years ago by consuming a poisonous substance while in his late teens. The two had reportedly had a rocky relationship, which had led to her ending the love affair and him ending his life subsequently.
A source said Pagwah had been the last person Emran had spoken to prior to committing suicide.

Facebook post
On her Facebook profile, on October 27, 2015, Pagwah, who is an only child, wrote: “Today is gonna be 5 years now that ur gone & I swear not a day goes by that I don’t think of u & miss u… u would never know how sorry I am upto this very day.”
The young woman had reportedly attended the New Amsterdam Multilateral School, and had worked at the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).
Offering a comment last evening, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum disclosed that statements were sourced by the police from the other eight visitors who had travelled to the site yesterday. He explained that the visitors had all said that Phagwah had appeared fine and had showed no sign that her life was in jeopardy.
Blanhum said police would today (Sunday) question the tour guides, as investigations into the suicide continue.
Following the incident, the Ministry of Tourism issued a statement, expressing condolences to the family of the deceased, while adding that the Kaieteur National Park will be closed until further notice, as investigations are being conducted by the police.
The incident commanded public attention yesterday, particularly on social media, with persons calling for the relevant authorities to fence vulnerable areas of the Kaieteur Falls, since it is apparently becoming routine for persons to commit suicide at the falls.

This incident comes just two months after Durban Backlands, Georgetown resident Gyaneshwarie Sivanand ended her life at the Kaieteur Falls reportedly due to relationship issues. Six years prior, another woman had done the same thing.
Following the death of Sivanand, Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes had announced that should the area be fenced, it would take away from the beauty of the site and what it has to offer.

Address mental health
Similar sentiments have been expressed by President of the National Air Transport Association, Annette Arjoon-Martins, who underscored the need for mental health to be addressed in Guyana.
Arjoon-Martins said fencing of the area is not the root cause of the issue; and if people do not get the help they need, they will find other ways of ending their lives.
As such, she suggested that mental health be placed on the front burner, and examined as an issue which needs urgent attention by the relevant authorities.
“We have to stop being afraid of speaking about mental illness. People must feel comfortable to discuss their situation and be able to find help,” she said.
Arjoon-Martins also argued that the victims’ families are not the only persons who are affected after incidents of suicide, but persons who witness these devastating incidents are also affected mentally, and should be provided with services to help them with the trauma.