At the Georgetown Public Hospital the atmosphere was solemn; relatives of the injured milled around.

Those rushed to the hospital were the pilot, Sarve Persaud, 39 of 65 Oleander Gardens, East Coast Demerara; co-pilot Noel Persaud, 31, of 250 Industry, East Coast Demerara; crew-member Premchand Arjoon, 33, of Lot 33 Annandale, North, East Coast Demerara, who has died; Clive Mannie, 28, of 132 Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara; Rondel Mannie, 39, of Kuru Kuru, Linden/Soesdyke Highway; Randolph Charles, 48, of South Ruimveldt Gardens and Brian Blair, 43, of Samatta Point, Grove, East Bank Demerara.

Arjoon died some 20 minutes after being rushed to the hospital, and was said to have sustained severe injures in the crash.

Arjoon was the loader attached to airline and had worked with the company for 12 years. He had been assigned the duties of a dispatcher just yesterday.

Arjoon’s distraught mother, who refused to be consoled, said her son was taken too soon.

He was a father of five children between the ages of 12 and two.

Meanwhile, Noel Persaud’s sister, Sonia, told this newspaper her brother had suffered multiple injures and was bleeding internally. The young woman said her brother remembered encountering mechanical problems and struggling along with the pilot to land the plane safely.

Sarve Persaud’s mother related that her son sustained injures to the head. The woman said her son had been flying for a number of years and had never been involved in any crash. She said the news came as a shock.

Charles who was seated at the front of the plane told Stabroek News he was making the trip to the interior to resume work on a dredge. He related that about ten to 20 minutes after take-off the plane started descending. At that point, the pilot instructed the passengers to throw out some of the cargo on-board since he was experiencing difficulties. Charles said that he sprang out of his seat along with some other passengers and attempted to grab his bags.

He said that the plane continued descending and he was advised to take his seat and strap down. According to the man he had reached his seat but failed to strap down since it was too late. He was later pulled out of the plane by someone who went to their assistance.

Charles recalled seeing Arjoon pinned in the wreckage. He said the man was trapped and appeared lifeless.

The man said he never gave up hope while the plane was plummeting to the ground. He said prayers seemed liked the only answer and he prayed for his life.

When he opened his eyes, he said, and saw people, he felt blessed.

Vanessa Mannie of 3730 North Ruimveldt said the plane landed a little away from her home. The woman related that she saw two helicopters circling the area and went out to investigate.

She then found the crash site at a back dam in the area and saw the badly wrecked plane and its injured crew. According to the woman, the scene was grim. She ran to the assistance of the injured and was shocked to find her relatives among them.

Vanessa said her uncle Randolph Mannie and cousin Clive Mannie were on board. The woman lost control upon seeing her relatives and had to be taken away from the site. (Iana Seales and Andre Haynes)