Guyanese fisherman reportedly tossed overboard; one arrested

Missing at sea: Guyanese fisherman Shawn Sewchand

By Royan Abrams

Law enforcement officers in Suriname have a lunched a search for a 26 year old Guyanese fisherman who it is believed was deliberately thrown into Suriname waters from a boat on which he was working at the time.

Missing at seas and feared believed dead is 26 year old Shawn Sewchand of Nigg Corentyne Berbice. Information reaching BIG Smith Crime Watch suggested that the young man left his in-laws’ residence in Suriname to join a boat some two weeks ago to ply his trade.

It is reported that the Guyanese man joined four other persons on the vessel. However on Thursday, relatives received information that the young man had ‘fallen over board’ and cannot be found.

“So when the boat that he ah work with come out now, the captain tell the sister how them nah find he and he nah deh nowhere so maybe he die right, so then the sister make a report and get the police to search for him so this morning when my other daughter call she seh them she them nah find yet” 

BIG Smith Crime Watch learnt that the now missing man had a misunderstanding with another worker on board the vessel some time ago.

It is said that while Sewchand carries out his trade on the boat, he would usually have a rope tied to his body to prevent him from slipping into the water be it by accident or any unexpected turbulence the vessel might experience while at sea.

Relatives have since indicated that they were informed that the same man Sewchand had the misunderstanding with some time ago, used a knife and severed the rope which was connected to a part of the boat and Sewchand’s body for as a precautionary measure during his choirs, causing him to eventually slip over board.

“The bai wah cut the rope with he, them had a long time story and that what them go and take out what he tek out and by he noticed that he nah know to swim and them push he over and a black boy try to save he but the bai that cut the rope knock the black boy unconscious and that’s how we know it had to do with the issue them had before” a sister of the now missing man told BIG Smith Crime Watch.

 The suspect was tied up by other fishermen and taken to a police station in Suriname where he is assisting with investigation.