THE Ministry of Social Protection (MoSP), Occupational Health and Safety Department is investigating the death of 15-year- old Roy Odel Welchman, who died after falling from a skidder at Bisaruni Backdam, Region 10, on Sunday.

According to a senior officer in the department, arrangements are being made to travel to the mining area by Friday. A post mortem examination was completed on Wednesday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and it was ascertained that the teen died from multiple injuries.

According to police reports, at around 17:30hrs on Sunday, Welchman allegedly slipped off the side of a truck and fell between the wheels of a skidding machine. He was employed by T Bovell Concessions on a part time basis as a GPS operator and record keeper.

At the time of the incident he was allegedly in the company of a driver and a porter. The skidder hit a bump causing the teen, who was reportedly standing on the left side of the machine, to fall. He was rushed to the Kwakwani Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The operator of the machine and the porter were released on station bail.