A tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, when 14-year-old Emmanuel Downer, a student of Lancaster Secondary School in Mahaica, drowned in the Atlantic Ocean at Unity Beach. The Haslington Village resident lost his life after an old freezer he and his friends were using to float on the water capsized.
Incident Details
Downer, along with three other students, had left school that afternoon and decided to go swimming at Unity Beach. According to police reports, the teenagers entered an old freezer and ventured into the ocean. However, the makeshift vessel overturned, causing Downer to disappear beneath the water. While his friends managed to swim ashore unharmed, Downer could not be saved.
One of the students immediately contacted Downer’s mother, Elisha Dailey, to inform her of the incident. A report was subsequently made to the Cove and John Police Station, prompting the formation of a search party.
Recovery of the Body
After hours of searching, Downer’s body was discovered approximately 500 meters from shore on a sandbank. It was entangled in a fishing seine and found lying face-up. Investigators processed the scene and confirmed that there were no visible signs of violence on his body. The remains were transported to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where they await a post-mortem examination.
Community Reaction
The incident has left the community in shock and mourning. Downer’s tragic death serves as a grim reminder of the dangers associated with unsafe activities near water bodies. This case also marked the second drowning in Guyana within an hour that day; earlier, a two-year-old child drowned in the Upper Berbice River.
Safety Warnings
In light of these tragedies, police officials have urged parents to monitor their children closely and discourage risky behavior near water. They also advised teenagers to avoid swimming in unsafe conditions or without proper supervision.
As investigations continue, Emmanuel Downer’s family and friends are left grappling with an unimaginable loss that has deeply affected their community.
