Bodies of two drowning victims recovered

NALINEE SEELAL

North Eastern Division Police recovered the bodies of two men who are believed to have drowned in separate incidents between Friday and Sunday at La Fillette and Blanchisseuse.

In the first incident, the victim Kimmel Robertson, 27, of Edinburgh 500 is said to have been staying at a guest house at La Fillette with a female relative when he asked her to take him to an area close to where they were staying.

It is alleged he alighted from the car at about 4 pm on Friday and ran into a forested area where he stripped himself naked.

The woman followed him inside the forest but when he continued to run further, she became afraid and returned to the car. She made a report to the Maracas Bay police and a search party carried out checks for Robertson but he was not found.

On Saturday, he was allegedly seen by Blanchisseuse villagers running nude in all directions inside the forest. The following day, at about 6 pm, his body was found floating in a river at La Fillette by a villager.

The body was viewed by a district medical officer and ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre, St James.

Robertson’s relatives said he began displaying psychotic behaviour and the weekend was arranged for him to have some rest and relaxation to help him with his problems. They said they never expected he would die in such a bizarre manner.

In the second incident, a 20-year-old Cunupia man who went to the rescue of his 18-year-old brother drowned on Sunday afternoon.

Vedanti Lalla was bathing with his brother Dangelo and other friends in a river named “Three Pools” at Blanchisseuse when Dangelo experienced difficulties at about 3 pm. Vedanti rushed to his brother’s assistance and pulled him to safety but he drowned. The body was found floating shortly after and members of the Blanchisseuse Police Station went to the scene.