A 25-year-old man is now missing and is feared dead after the boat he was operating crashed into another vessel along the Aruka River in Region One (Barima-Waini) on Sunday at around 21:20hrs.
Missing is Terry LaCruz, a father of a six-year-old girl, of Mabaruma, Region One. LaCruz, who works as a fuel distributor, is also expecting his second child with his girlfriend who is several months pregnant.
The boat in which LaCruz crashed into was being operated by his father, Percy Thomas.
Speaking with this publication, Thomas explained that his son was speeding along the river when he ended up in a head-on collision with the boat he (the father) was piloting.
As a result of the impact, LaCruz’s small boat broke into pieces and the man fell into the water.
Thomas said he, his wife and two daughters were heading home from church when the incident occurred.
He explained that it was upon reaching their landing that they saw a boat speeding in their direction.
“I normally [come] from church and I normally call a boat to come [to] collect me to carry me back home right and while we [were] heading home, I was almost reaching my landing and we see this boat speeding coming down and we shine up the light and give them [a] signal but [like he didn’t see it]…and he come and slam straight into our boat,” Thomas told this publication.
“All we hear is the impact and we didn’t see nothing else,” he added. Shortly after, the family then realised that the boat was LaCruz’s.
Thomas and his family suffered no injuries as a result of the collision. Thomas and family were in a 42x5ft boat which only suffered a dent.
Meanwhile, the family currently has a diver searching the river for the missing man.
