before a judge last Monday. He was taken from the village of Grand Santi to Cayenne. Investigators are currently trying to piece together what went wrong on the day of the accident.

The boatman took 6 passengers across the river when the boat capsized in the middle of the river. All 6 passengers were teachers from kindergarten schools that are located in Grand Santi. Two teachers and the boatman were rescued but 4 other teachers drowned. Meanwhile all 4 bodies have been recovered.

District Attorney Aline Célrot indicated that the three survivors confirmed that they were rescued by a boat that dropped them off on the Surinamese side of the river and that a second boat brought them back to Grand Santi where they received medical treatment at the local clinic. None of the passengers wore a life jacket. The boatman is charged with failing to follow the safety rules and four counts of death by fault. If he is found guilty, he risks being sentenced to prison for several years.