JEROME Henry, 23, called ‘Bat’ succumbed after experiencing a series of heart attacks, hours after his semi-conscious body was pulled from the “Sixth Bridge” concrete canal, aback the Providence Estate, East Bank Berbice.

On February 23, just before 15:30hrs, Henry was seen walking along the dam, which divides the canefields.

Hire car driver, Raymond Etwaroo, recalled being in company with his wife and other relatives, when he stopped his vehicle, before offering Henry a ride to the famous destination, where persons would go to swim and  “hang out”.

After parking his car, Henry exited the vehicle before making several jokes, which caused persons to erupt in laughter.

“Jerome went to the area that has concrete and he tested the water. He said it was cold.  He got out and started to walk up the dam. At that time four boys were swimming. He walked pass them. Suddenly, he took off his shirt and hat and plunged in the water. I did not see him raise up. I ran from my car. I shouted to the others saying, ‘Jerome can’t dive so long’. Persons thought he was making a trick. They believed he was in the corner waiting to laugh at us. He was a funny guy. But where Jerome jumped, he was left. That where he was found,” Etwaroo said. A mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was done on Henry, and as a result, he coughed up water, leaving persons with the belief that all would be well.

The police were informed and Henry was transported to the New Amsterdam Hospital in an unconscious state.

Meanwhile, according to a relative, Joy Peters, Henry was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where a doctor on duty gave a grim prognosis of his condition.

According to Peters, the now deceased man experienced several heart attacks at shortened intervals and was initially kept on a life-saving machine.

He succumbed at 02:39hrs while receiving treatment. Henry was employed as a sales clerk at A. Ally and Sons Establishment.