Four drown on the weekend

A nine year-old girl and her 75 year-old grandfather drowned in Mayaro while in Manzanilla a 13 year-old girl and her 50 year-old father drowned after getting into difficulties in the water.

In the first incident Renisha Basdeo and her father Deoraj Harridath, of Tableland, drowned while on an family excursion at Manzanilla beach in vicinity of Mitan River.

Basdeo was swimming when she got into difficulties, prompting her father to spring into action.

In trying to save her, Harridath also got into difficulties.

Police said the water was turbulent and the Airguard and Coast Guard were alterted.

Their bodies were not retrieved and the search continue today.

Almost two hours later, grandfather, Morris Selwyn Sammy, 75, saw granddaughter Anastacia Misha Ali found themselves in distress in the waters off Coconut Avenue, Grand Lagoon, and made a desperate attempt to save her. Strong currents, however, pulled both of them beneath and they drowned, while two other girls who are friends of the family, managed to swim safely to shore.

Sammy is from Texaco Old Road, Claxton Bay, and granddaughter Anastacia, who is a pupil of the St Gabriel’s Girls RC School, in San Fernando, lived at Gopaul Circular Drive, Marabella, with her parents and five yearold brother, Zayne.

At about 10.25 am yesterday some of the family members went into the water for a mid-morning swim and according to a police report, Anastacia was bathing a few metres from the shore, with two other young girls, between the ages of nine and 14 yearsold, when persons on the beach heard the children’s screams.

The police report stated that Sammy, who was also in the water, dived in and tried to rescue Anastacia, as well as the two other girls.

He and his granddaughter dissappeared beneath the waves.

Police said that it appeared that a strong current developed within minutes. Sammy and Anastacia vanished and within minutes, resurfaced.

Yesterday, Sammy’s son, Robert, told Newsday his father was an excellent swimmer, but strong undercurrents, coupled with the fact he was much older, may have been “ too much”.

Robert said his father was pronounced dead on the beach while his niece, Anastacia, was rushed to the Mayaro District Health Facility where she was pronounced dead.

Anastacia would have entered Standard Three on the reopening of school next month.

Sammy, also called ‘Shac Shac’ and ‘Bouji’, was a bass guitarist with the now defunct Ansel Wyatt Combo, a popular band of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Sammy was a father of five and grandfather of 18.

Autopsies are expected to be performed today at the Forensic Sciences Centre today.

Investigations are continuing.