Four men quizzed in death of Barrackpore fisherman

POLICE detectives are continuing investigations into the death of 22-year-old Vishnu Ramdhanie of Barrackpore, who died after two fishing boats crashed into each other at La Ruffin river on Saturday. Up to yesterday four persons who occupied the pirogue which crashed into Ramdhanie’s were still being questioned by police. Both boats remained lodged at the Moruga police station. Ramdhanie’s younger sister Stacy, told Newsday her brother recently purchased the pirogue ‘Hamlet’ with the intention of earning a living as a fisherman. “He decided to purchase a fishing boat so he could catch fish to sell and make money. He was a very honest and hardworking person,” Stacy cried as tears welled at her eyes.

Stacy said another reason for her brother purchasing the boat besides using it as a means of earning a livelihood to take care of his common-law-wife Sundra Deonarine and her two children, Charlene, 12 and Daniel, five, was to raise money towards the completion of construction on his parents’ home in Oropouche South Trace, Barrackpore. Recalling her last conversation with Ramdhanie, Stacy said she spoke to him the day before his death. “We were planning my 21st birthday party/lime which is on Friday. He told me we would have a cookup and lime where he was staying in Moruga. But I guess there will be no party now. All those plans died with him”.

Ramdhanie, was the second of three children for his parents — father, Seepersad, 44, and his mother, Meera, 42. According to a police report, around 10 am while Ramdhanie was heading out to sea on his pirogue, another boat which was coming towards land, collided with the ‘Hamlet’. The report stated Ramdhanie was going around a meander when the speeding, approaching pirogue collided with his pirogue. On impact, Ramdhanie’s face reportedly smashed into the side of his pirogue before he was thrown into the river.

Ramdhanie was pronounced dead-on-arrival at the San Fernando General Hospital. Ramdhanie’s common-law-wife Sundra Deonar-ine yesterday pleaded with police to crackdown on fishermen who speed along La Ruffin river. “Too much incidents take place on that river. Countless people getting hurt some of them seriously. And now this time a death has occurred. I want the police to do something so the speeding will stop,” Deonarine said. Ag Cpl Sieunarine is continuing investigations.