The deceased has been identified as Henry Gardner, who resided at the Toucan Mall, located at Toucan Drive, Amelia’s Ward.

According to a police statement, Gardner drowned between 20:00hrs on Monday and 07:20hrs on Tuesday.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that around 20:00 hours, Gardner, along with the 67-year-old owner of the mall, conducted routine checks around the premises. “The owner claimed he left the deceased at the pool area,” police said.  However, around 07:20hrs, Gardner’s body was discovered in the pool, and the matter was reported to the police.

Police said the body was removed from the pool and examined, which showed no marks of violence. The body of the deceased is currently at the Pensioner Funeral home, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage has shown that last Monday evening, Gardner entered the pool and began swimming toward the opposite end. His movements initially appeared normal. However, as he approached the far side of the pool, he suddenly began moving frantically, splashing his arms rapidly with his head submerged. Moments later, he became motionless and sank to the bottom of the pool.

A follow-up video posted by Joel M. Cole on Tuesday morning showed that Gardner’s body was still at the bottom of the pool around 7:00hrs hrs.

Investigations are ongoing. (Kaieteur News)