FABIAN Sam, 40, of Jawalla Village in Upper Mazaruni Region Seven, is feared dead after a boat he was captaining crashed into another on Saturday in the Mazaruni River.

According to Police Headquarters, Sam operated a 35-foot-long boat powered by a 30-horsepower (HP) outboard engine. A 48-year-old resident captained the other boat (30-foot long with a 15 HP engine) from another village in the Upper Mazaruni Region.

Initial inquiries revealed, according to the police, that Fabian Sam was navigating his boat along the Mazaruni River with five occupants. Upon approaching the confluence of the Mazaruni and Kukui Rivers, the light from the boat captained by the 48-year-old man was observed coming head-on from the opposite direction.

An occupant in Fabian Sam’s boat, Charles Hernandez, in an attempt to get the other boat to change direction, flashed his torchlight to avoid a collision but to no avail.

“The boats subsequently collided, which resulted in Fabian Sam being thrown overboard, and Charles Hernandez was injured and became unconscious. A search for 40-year-old Fabian Sam proved futile,” police noted in a statement.

The injured man, Charles Hernandez, was transported to the Kamarang Hospital and later transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

The 48-year-old captain is in police custody assisting with the investigation, as the search continues.