THE body of 63-year-old Sanchara Kawall, better known as “Broge” and “Basil” of Montrose, East Coast Demerara, was fished out of a small drain next to his makeshift house on Friday mid-day.

The man lived alone on a dam near the seawall where he had constructed a small wooden shack. He was said to be a heavy drinker, who consumed alcoholic beverages almost on a daily basis.

According to the man’s daughter, Samantha Mahabal, a neighbour who resides near to her father’s shack, contacted her to say that his body was in the small drain.

Mahabal went to the scene and her worst fears were confirmed when the police showed up and pulled the body of Kawall from the green waters of the drain, which is just next to his shack.

She related that since her mother died of cancer 31 years ago, her father was never the same person and took to the ‘bottle’ and moved away from her and wanted to be alone.

She told the Guyana Chronicle that her father used to be a fisherman years ago but quit and would assist a friend who sells in the Plaisance Market.

Mahabal added that although her father drank heavily, every Wednesday he would be sober and would visit her home for prayer service and to collect his meals.

Mahabal described her father as a very ‘good person’ who kept to himself and was fond of listening to his radio and riding his bicycle.

She is of the view that her father met his demise after he got too intoxicated sometime Thursday night when he was observed sitting on the grass close to the drain and she surmised that he tried to get up and maybe slipped into the drain where he reportedly drowned.

Mahabal does not suspect foul play, since the body bore no visible marks of violence when he was pulled from the drain.

He was observed missing on Friday morning when a neighbour visited his shack to take his meal and saw his door open, his bicycle inside and he was nowhere to be found.

The neighbour, Mohan Lall told the Guyana Chronicle that he observed on the dam an empty bottle of rum, a hat and a radio which belonged to Kawall and right away he knew something was not right, since kawall would always have his radio with him.

Lall said he then began to search the area and he noticed a piece of cloth in the drain and decided to take a closer look. It was then he saw the body and summoned the police and the man’s daughter.

A post-mortem is expected to be performed on the body on Monday after which a funeral will take place later in the week.