Safety concerns raised in wake of drowning deaths at Rockstone

…Minister Gaskin to meet organisers  of Fish Festival

In light of the recent drowning of two persons at the Rockstone Fish Festival on Sunday, Minister with the responsibility for tourism, Dominic Gaskin said that he called a meeting with the various organising bodies to address the issue of safety to ensure that such an incident did not recur.

On Sunday, 50-year-old Gavin Moses and his niece, 13-year-old Kimeanda “Yasha” Prince drowned after going for a swim at the Golden Beach. Moses’s body was recovered in the Essequibo River on Monday around 13:30h and was currently at the Linden Hospital Mortuary.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Minister Gaskin said that this was the first time such an incident has occurred. He noted that the incident highlighted the importance of safety measures.
“I asked for a meeting between the organisers, the GTA (Guyana Tourism Authority) and the Department of Tourism to get a better idea of what occurred and look at what ought to have been in place in terms of safety measures and ensure that in the planning for next year’s event that a lot more emphasis is placed on safety and that there is a plan to deal with issues like this,” Gaskin said.
“The question about lifeguard is a valid one, because if people are swimming in open waters, should there be a lifeguard? Of course! This may be the first time that something like this has happened and it is most unfortunate and it drives home how important it is to have safety measures and we would like to use this as a learning experience,” the Minister added.

Meanwhile, GTA Logistics Manager Carla Chandra said that they had basic emergency services personnel on the ground with the exception of a lifeguard. She said that at the time of the incident, the judging of the competition was ongoing with almost everyone at the main event area.
Chandra said that the GTA would be working with the community of Rockstone and the other organisers to ensure that signs were placed to warn people of the dangers.
Prince, of Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara, and Moses, formerly of Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, Berbice, met their demise on Sunday during the 12th Annual Rockstone Fish Festival.
It was reported that Moses and other relatives had hired a private boat to transport them to Golden Beach – minutes away from the main event area. Whilst there, Prince and two cousins, one being Thalia Clarke, experienced difficulties in navigating through the deep waters.
Moses, who could not swim, went to their aid, but instead went under the water and never resurfaced. The now dead teen was celebrating her birthday on Sunday, and her now dead uncle had celebrated his on Saturday.