US-based Guyanese teen drowns while celebrating birthday in Guyana

More than a week after the incident, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has issued a statement regarding the drowning of 18-year-old Demarius Wilabus Payne, a US-based college student, which occurred on Boxing Day 2024 at Coomacka Mines, Linden.

Payne, who resided in Atlanta, Georgia, and Wismar, Linden, had travelled to Guyana to celebrate his birthday with family. According to police reports, Payne was swimming with relatives at the creek on December 26, 2024, when he ventured into a deeper section and attempted to cross to the other side.

During the attempt, Payne submerged underwater. Family members, along with others present, launched an immediate search and eventually retrieved him from the creek in an unconscious state. He was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A post-mortem examination (PME) conducted on December 30, 2024, by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh confirmed the cause of death as drowning. Payne’s body has since been handed over to his relatives for burial.