A BUXTON, East Coast Demerara surveyor is feared to have drowned after he fell overboard while on a job assignment at Rotterdam, East Bank Berbice. Seon Hughes, 25, was reported to have been walking backwards with a metal staff when he fell into the river just after 09:000 hrs on Friday.
Hughes was employed by S.R.K Engineering. There was no trace of Hughes up to press time.
Navendra Hardeo, called “Goofray,” recounted his efforts to save the “staff man” who he believed could not swim.
Earlier, Hardeo, a teenage fisherman, saw Seon Hughes armed with the metal staff walking backwards into the direction of the Berbice River. At that time, the tide was high and the door of the nearby koker was open.
“After I see the boy [ Seon Hughes] walking out, I went to the big man [a land surveyor, said to have been in charge of the operation) and I told him to give me something [ money] to do the job , as I noticed that the boy, who was then dressed in his navy blue pants only, was fearful.
“Instead, he ask if we got a boat to rent. I untied the sluice operator boat , which was nearby. The boy and I got in the boat with the metal staff. The boss man wanted to take measurement. The boy was standing in the boat which was too small for both of us and it was also taking in some water, so we then returned the boat and tied it.”
According to Hardeo, the land surveyor changed his locations, moving about 20 to 30 feet away, on the other side of the koker, which divides Rotterdam and Lonsdale villages.
“The land surveyor gave the boy [ Seon Hughes], the metal staff, whilst directing him to go out, which was close to the channel, which has a sharp drop. I asked them if they want a swimmer, but like he ain’t appreciate me,or like he hand tight. He deh cursing dem boys [ workmen] after they were resisting his orders.
“It was while the boy was going down , after dropping in the channel, that the ‘big man’ start calling for a swimmer. At that time, I was a short distance away and I ran across some beams in an attempt to rescue the boy. At that time , he was going up and down in the water. As I got closer to him, he kept pointing to what I suspect to have been the metal staff. He was stickling in the water. I told him not to worry about the staff, but to swim inland, as the koker door was opened and the water was swirling and pulling around us.
“He then held on my hand, then the grasp loosed .I grabbed him; I tried to swim with him, but the water was heavy. The water was pushing us away from the land into the river. I called out to the ‘boss man’ for help but he was on his phone. I called for them to throw the rope, but everyone just stood. Seon’s cousin started to cry. No one tried to help; eventually he loosed me and slipped away, and I swam ashore,” the tearful Hardeo recalled.
After the incident occurred, villagers stormed the river bank, some armed with seines and boats to find the young man, but to no avail.
Investigations are continuing.