Barama employee dies following freak accident …Police launch investigation

Barama employee dies following freak accident …Police launch
investigation
Kaieteur News, 8 February 2008
A father of three who is also an employee of Barama Company Limited
died Monday at a private city hospital following a freak accident at a
mining concession in Cuyuni.
Reports are that 39-year-old Mark Anthony Pollard, of Ice House Road,
Timehri, died while receiving treatment at the hospital after
reportedly being crushed by lumber. Kaieteur News was told that Pollard
and other colleagues left their Land of Canaan work site on board a
vessel for a mining concession in the Cuyuni, last Friday.
The incident reportedly occurred sometime around 07:00 hours on Monday.
Reports stated that Pollard and his co-workers were loading lumber
onto their vessel via a crane, which was on land.
It was during this exercise that a colleague recalled hearing Pollard
screaming for help. This newspaper was told that upon checking, Pollard
was found sprawled by a stanchion of the vessel. Sources said the
injured man had blood gushing from a wound on his thigh. Pollard was
picked up and rushed to Parika in a speedboat, after which he was
transported to the city in a company ambulance. A short while after
reaching the hospital, Pollard succumbed while receiving treatment.
Meanwhile when contacted, Pollard’s elder brother, Ray, said that the
family received a phone call from the company around 09:00 hours on
Monday informing them of the incident and they were also told to go to
the hospital.
Ray Pollard said by the time they got to the hospital, they were told
that their brother had already died. He said the family was told that
his brother was crushed by a large piece of lumber while loading the
ship. The brother said a detailed account of what really transpired in
the Cuyuni was not given to the family. The elder Pollard said he has
since visited the Police Headquarters at Eve Leary, and they informed
him that they are investigating the matter.
“I asked the police to do a thorough investigation because we were
told that he and another person on the boat had a problem and to date
(yesterday) we haven’t got a proper account of what really happened. My
mother even told me that he was not supposed to go on the last trip,
and we need to know what really happened,” Pollard said.
Meanwhile, Pollard added that Barama has since promised to stand all
of his brother’s funeral expenses. Pollard said the family also made
enquires about long-term support for the dead man’s wife and three
children.
“The company also said they will give assistance to the wife for the
children and they (Barama) told his wife to apply to NIS for his
benefits,” Pollard added.
Mark Pollard had been employed with Barama for the past three years
and leaves to mourn his wife, three children aged 7, 9 and 12, along
with other relatives.
Meanwhile a police source has since confirmed that they are in receipt
of the report and investigations are ongoing.