The body of 28-year-old fisherman Avinash Dookie was discovered on Tuesday, two days after he vanished in the Corentyne River.
Relatives confirmed the grim discovery on Tuesday afternoon, bringing a heartbreaking end to days of anxious waiting and hope.
Dookie, of No. 77 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was reported missing on Saturday after he reportedly fell overboard while preparing to head out on a fishing trip from Orealla.
He was onboard a vessel with several crew members when the incident occurred. According to reports, he submerged and was not seen again.
A relative said the family received the devastating news around 2:15 pm on Tuesday, when they were informed that his body had been found some distance from where he disappeared.
The loss has hit the family hard, as they had been clinging to hope that he would be found alive.
“It’s not the news we were expecting—we were hoping he would be rescued alive,” a relative said.
Dookie’s wife, Amrita, had told this publication that the last time she spoke with him was around lunchtime on Saturday. Later that afternoon, at about 5:30 pm, she received a call from the boat’s owner informing her that he had fallen into the river. Immediate rescue efforts proved unsuccessful.
Despite being told her husband could not swim, she had remained hopeful that he would survive.
Family members were told that the vessel was navigating high tides when Dookie reportedly bent over to fix the engine and fell into the water. He was seen struggling and resurfaced several times before disappearing.
The boat captain reportedly made a report to the police.
Dookie, a father of four, had been working at sea for approximately seven years. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted today.