-relatives appeal for help from people with diving skills
THE  search for the missing 31-year-old Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) employee, Vishanand Lall also called Vishal, feared drowned after he went down while swimming across the dangerous 40-foot Stratsphey trench on the East Coast Demerara, continued into the second day yesterday, but up to last night, yielded nothing.

Meanwhile, his wife Reshanti and parents Ano and Shanta Lall, are appealing for persons with diving skills to help them search. “We are using nets, hooks and have three boats, but the water is very high and deep, and so we need people who can dive,” his distraught sister, Vanessa said yesterday.

Relatives expressed disappointment that neither the police nor GuySuCo rendered any assistance to search for the missing man. They claimed that after they reported the matter to the police late Monday afternoon, the police turned up at Enterprise front to do investigations, but even though they told them about the tragedy at Stratsphey up to late yesterday the police had still not arrived at the scene..

Lall, a father of a three-year old daughter, Anooksha Lall, and who was employed as a Bell Loader Operator with the GuySuCo Enmore Estate, was swimming across the Stretsphey trench, along with workmate, Avo Singh when tragedy struck.

Singh, who relayed the message to Lall’s wife Reshanti, via his (Singh’s) wife, said that around 17:30 – 17:45 hrs, he and Lall were swimming across the Stratsphey Side Line canal when Lall appeared to be experiencing trouble and began going down. Singh said he turned around and tried desperately to help the drowning man, but was unsuccessful, since Lall was wearing a pair of safety boots which took in water and added to his weight, carrying him down faster.

The survivor said he looked around and saw about three other workmates who were reporting for the 18:00 hrs shift, and appealed to them for help, but by then his helpless friend had gone down and failed to surface.

Meanwhile, at the Lall’s home at Lot 8 Pay Office Street, Enterprise, East Coast Demerara yesterday, there was weeping and wailing. His mother Shanta, was  emotional, chanting and sobbing intermittently; but praying that he would come home from wherever he was – be it playing or swimming. “Come home, my baby, please come home” she begged.  His wife looked on in deep anguish, while his father Ano was with the search party at Strathspey combing the waterway, with the hope of finding Vishal.

Recounting her reaction on receiving the news of his death while desperately clutching their daughter, the man’s wife, Reshanti said,: “Her ‘world went dark’, adding, It was a very long night…”.  Each time the phone rang, she expected to hear that they had found her husband alive.

“We have not given up, and are still hoping to find him,” his sister Vanessa said on a very somber note.

Vishal who had worked with the corporation for just over two years, was on his way home from work on Monday afternoon when around 17:30 hrs tragedy struck.

He was the second of three siblings including Videsh Anand and Vanessa (the youngest of the three).