Hyde Park duo was already dead when septic tank cut open – Fire service

The Guyana Fire Service earlier today said that the two deaths that occurred in a septic tank at
Hyde Park, Timehri last night saw them receiving a telephone call at 21:32 pm last evening.
They disclosed that they were summoned to Hyde Park Timehri, EBD to provide help in
extracting the two persons who had fallen into a septic tank.
They revealed that when ranks arrived at the location two persons were seen lying motionless in
the septic tank. It was note that the firefighters were able to cut open the tank thus retrieving the
duo who were suspected to have died by that time. In a report filed by the Police, it stated that
42-year-old Camille Dwarka was going to the toilet when her niece Anita Joseph heard her
screaming and sought to rescue her. It was stated that after checking Joseph discovered that her
aunt had fallen into the septic tank. She immediately sought help from 51-year-old Ramlall
Madhoo who jumped into the septic tank in an attempt to rescue his wife but failed in his efforts.
Joseph went and looked into the septic tank and noticed that both bodies were motionless. The
bodies were subsequently seen and examined by police with no marks of violence being seen on
the most exposed parts of their bodies. The bodies were then uplifted by the undertakers from
Memorial Funeral Home and escorted to Diamond Diagnostic Centre. It was there that they were
both pronounced dead by the doctor on duty. The police said that the bodies are both presently
lying at Memorial Funeral Home awaiting post mortem examination.

The Guyana Fire Service stressed that in light of this tragedy they would like to advise citizens
that septic tanks should be cleaned on a relatively regular basis. They noted further that the
average household septic tank should be inspected at least every three years by a septic service
professional. It said that the lack of cleaning and maintenance to septic tanks can present serious
hazards including septic cave-in’s or collapses, methane gas explosion hazards and asphyxiation
hazards as well as risks of unsanitary conditions such as bacterial or viral infections. They urged
residents to follow these safety rules at all times:

– Never lean over a septic tank opening or stick your head into the tank to examine its interior –
you could become overcome by gases, fall into the tank, and suffocate– Leave tank cleaning and
repairs to trained professionals.
– Never enter a septic tank unless you are specially trained and are wearing special equipment
and gear for that purpose, including a self-contained breathing apparatus.
– Do not go into a septic tank to retrieve someone who has fallen in and was overcome by gases
unless you are equipped with a self-contained breathing apparatus. Instead, call for emergency
services and put one or more fans at the top of the septic tank to blow in fresh air.
– Never work alone in or around a septic tank.
– Don’t ignite flames or smoke cigarettes at or near the tank. This can cause an explosion.
– Be sure that the tank and its access ports have sound and secure covers that do not risk collapse
and which cannot be removed or nudged aside by children or animals.
– Beware of old, collapsing septic systems.

– Watch out for evidence of sinking soil, rusted-through steel septic tank covers, home-made
wooden or flimsy tank covers, or home made cesspools and dry wells which risk collapsing.