KHARAMCHAND Parbhudyal called ‘Dara’ of Grant 1651 Crabwood Creek, East Berbice Corentyne, left for a fishing expedition on Saturday in the company of three friends, but has yet to return and his relatives have begun fearing the worse.

The man’s wife Nagawattie Parbhudyal explained that her husband left around 09:00hrs for his usual weekend ‘drink’ at a nearby shop. She said he was reportedly encouraged by his friends to accompany them to Calabash Creek Island, which is located along the Corentyne River to fish. “Saturday morning when he left home he tell the grandson he going for a drink and come back, then around 2 pm, his friend and three others come tell me Dara been with them up the River and them nah find he back,” the man’s wife related.

She noted that three men explained that Parbhdyal was a short distance away from them in waist high water and while they were taking their lines out and setting their hooks, they raised up and look back did not see him. The men searched for some time, before returning to inform the family of what had occurred.

Meanwhile, Tanuja Parbhudyal 26, the missing man’s daughter, told the Guyana Chronicle that she does not believe her father drowned, since he is a good swimmer and diver and especially because of the fact that they were told that he was in shallow water. “Me nah feel it is possible for him to drown and everyone who went there seh it nah possible from where they say they left he fuh he disappear or drown …if them say that while coming or going he fall off in boat cause everyone know the river deep that would be possible, but for them to say he drown in that water I don’t feel that is so,” the young woman said.

She recalled after she learnt of the incident she ventured to the area along with her husband and other family members but was unsuccessful in locating him. “At around 3:30pm we went but the water was high, so we come back and then my husband and cousins them went back in the night, but was still not able to find him,” the missing man’s daughter related.

A report was subsequently made to the Springlands Police Station, and the three friends were taken into Police custody. On Monday two police officers accompanied a search party, as they ventured back into the area but were again unsuccessful in locating the labourer, who works at a logging concession.