MEKHI Rodrigues, a five-year-old Grade One pupil at a private school at Crane, West Coast Demerara, tragically lost his life on October 29, 2024, after a thumbtack became lodged in his throat.
This was confirmed by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh, who performed a post-mortem examination with dissection on Friday on the deceased’s body.
After the examination, Dr Singh retrieved a metal tack which was stuck in the boy’s throat and gave his cause of death as suffocation.

Prior to the tragic incident, the child resided with his parents at Lust En Rust, West Bank Demerara (WBD). Investigations revealed that Rodrigues was at the private school playing with chalk. Shortly after, he went to the headmistress complaining of having difficulty breathing.
He was then rushed to the nearby West Demerara Regional Hospital, where the doctor on duty attended to him, but he subsequently passed away. His mother, Rebehak Rodrigues, a 37-year-old Cosmetologist, was informed of the incident, and the matter was reported to the police.