Teen shot in pirate attack

One of the teenagers, Darryl Ramlakhan, 13, of West Bay Shore Road, Marabella, was shot on the palm of his hand.

He is warded in stable condition at the San Fernando General Hospital.

The incident occurred at about 7 pm at King’s Wharf, San Fernando. Ramlakhan, his brother, Michael, 19, and cousin Kendell Williams, 14, all of Marabella, left Bay Shore aboard a styrofoam raft and sailed to King’s Wharf to fish.

Williams said they threw out a fishing net and were waiting to pull it in when they were attacked. “I was going to sleep but Darryl (Ramlakhan) said it was time to take up the net.

As I looked back I saw a white boat coming toward us. All I heard is somebody say, ‘Who is that?’ and I bawl ‘Is we boy.’

“They started shooting after us and we jumped off the boat. I hear Darryl (Ramlakhan) bawl out but I did not see what happened to him because I just wanted to get off the raft fast. We started swimming to shore.”

Williams, a student of Williamsville Junior Secondary, said the men fired at least five shots at them before they turned their vessel around and headed in the opposite direction.

It was only then that Williams realised his cousin had been shot.

The three teens swam the short distance to shore because by that time their raft had floated away.

They flagged down a car to take the injured Darryl to the San Fernando General Hospital for treatment.

Williams said it was not the first time he had gone out to sea in a styrofoam raft. He said he got the raft at last week’s Raftabout at the San Fernando Yacht Club.

“This is the first time since I am fishing that something like this has happened to me,” he said. Although terrified by the incident, Williams said he will be going back out to sea to fish.

“I just love the sea,” he said.

Officers of the San Fernando CID are continuing investigations.