RESIDENTS of Leguan Island in the Essequibo River were on Friday morning shocked at the news that a dead woman had washed up on the Uniform Beach.

That section of the island is commonly called the ‘back part.’

The woman, said to be of Indian descent, was found almost naked by a resident who often goes to the beach in the mornings. Residents do not believe that she is from the island as everyone knows everyone and no one has ever seen her there.

Her face was clearly visible and she appeared to have died hours before she was found.

A member of the island’s Community Policing Group (CPG) who lives at the ‘back part’ alerted CPG Liaison Officer Dhansham Ramnarine, who arrived at the scene around 07:00hrs. He was greeted by residents who had converged on the scene.

“It was shocking because for years, nothing like that never happened in Leguan; very strange,” Ramnarine told the Guyana Chronicle in an invited comment.

According to him, speculations are rife that the woman could not have come in from the Atlantic, but had to be from one of the Essequibo Islands nearby.

“She seems to be in her late 40s or early 50s. Her face was swollen and there was a little blood water from her nose,” Ramnarine shared.

Meanwhile, the police in a press statement said the body was found “facing upwards,” clad in a black brassier, with what appeared to be a silver wedding ring on the finger and a silver chain around the neck.

The undertakers and police picked up the body, which was transported to the Parika Stelling in a private boat. On arrival there, it was checked for marks of violence, and there were black and blue marks between the legs and on the side of the body.

The body was then escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty. It was later escorted to Ezekiel Funeral Parlour, where it is awaiting a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.

According to the police, the woman’s identity remains unknown.

“The Guyana Police Force is appealing to members of the public for any assistance in helping to identify the woman (or her family/relatives),” the statement said.