THIRTY-EIGHT-year-old Orin Caines of “A” Field, Sophia, Georgetown succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) minutes after he and another individual were rescued from a vehicle that ran into a Sophia canal and overturned at 18:20 hrs on Friday.Eyewitnesses recounted that Caines and the driver, 49-year-old Dereck Wilson of Fourth Street Alberttown Georgetown, were proceeding east along Dennis Street, Sophia when the driver swerved from an oncoming motorcycle, causing one of the vehicle’s wheels to blow out and it overturning in the nearby trench.

One resident said he was heading home at the time when he saw several cars parked on the street, causing massive traffic congestion. He stopped to enquire what was causing this backup, only to notice that motor vehicle PNN 6517 was almost submerged in the canal north of the street.

He said he immediately enquired if anyone was in the vehicle, and bystanders responded in the affirmative. He and others then jumped into the canal to save the victims of the accident. Caines and Wilson were taken to the GPHC, where Caines subsequently succumbed while Wilson is said to be in stable condition and is responding to treatment.

Rita Caines, mother of the deceased Orin Caines, told this publication that her son, the third of her four children, was a father of one and had spent 12 years in Barbados working as a skilled labourer before returning to Guyana a mere two months ago.

Police are seeking the motorcyclist involved in the accident.