FOUR persons are lucky to be alive after a barge crashed into their wooden vessel on the Corentyne River – four miles from Orealla – in the wee hours of Friday.
The Sunday Chronicle was informed that 45-year-old Gordon Herman, a farmer of Anora Point, Orealla, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), along with his father, 74-year-old Kelvin Herman, who was the captain and two others, were in a 22-feet wooden boat powered by a 15HP outboard engine and were heading to Corriverton when the accident occurred. The captain told police he saw a light heading in his direction and so, he signalled his light to indicate to the captain of the barge but within minutes, the barge collided with the vessel and the occupants were thrown overboard.
The four men managed to safely swim to shore. The incident was reported to the police on Saturday and an investigation is underway.