Kaieteur Falls tragedy…
- sets up camp for long haul
A search team has set up camp at the base of the Kaieteur Falls in
efforts to locate the body of 23-year old Aliya Bulkan who plunged off the
700 foot cliff last Saturday.
The search team comprising six persons was deployed to the area early
yesterday morning and camped the night after making the four-hour trek to
the base of the falls.
The search is expected to resume in earnest today and Rustom Bulkan, the
father of the missing woman, is expected to join.
Aliya Bulkan jumped off the cliff at the side of the Kaieteur Falls and
disappeared into the treacherous waters 700 feet below shortly after
completing a tour of the area.
This was despite attempts to pull her back by one of the touring party.
This newspaper paper understands that Bulkan and the rest of the touring
party were walking behind their guide when she suddenly broke away and ran
towards the falls before jumping over the cliff.
Although family members are still hoping that by some miracle she is still
alive, the reality of the situation appears otherwise.
Another member of the touring party who was walking next to Aliya Bulkan
and who tried to restrain her is so traumatised that she is reportedly
experiencing medical complications.
This newspaper understands that the woman, a Korean tourist, vomited all
day yesterday and has since checked out of a city hotel.
Speaking with this newspaper last evening, Rustom Bulkan said he was taken
to the area by an aircraft owned and operated by his uncle Yacoob Ally of
Air Services Limited.
He said that they arranged with the team to search for the missing woman
and returned to the city at around 16:00 hrs yesterday.
A boat from Madhia was dispatched to the area to bring out the missing
woman should she be found soon.
Bulkan said that he will be going back to the area and is prepared to stay
there until his daughter is found.
“Hopefully by tomorrow (today) we will find her,” he told Kaieteur
News.
It is believed that Aliya Bulkan is the first person to have jumped from
the top of Kaieteur Falls although there are rumours of similar unreported
incidents.
While the incident may be unprecedented at Kaieteur Falls, an average of
20 persons commit suicide at the famous Niagra Falls in North America
every year.
Officials of Roraima Airways dismissed reports in certain sections of the
media which stated that Bulkan ‘fell’ off the cliff.
Captain Gerry Gouviea told this newspaper that the safety measures at the
Kaieteur Falls are designed to prevent such accidents.
According to Gouviea, persons traveling to the falls are advised on the
nature of the trip before they depart for the destination.
“People are advised what kind of shoes to wear. They are told that they
are above 1500 feet and the rocks are slippery and to be careful,”
Gouviea said.
He said that there are signs warning persons to keep away from the edges
of the cliffs near the falls.
“This girl turned back and made a dash,” Gouviea stated.
He assured that treks to Kaieteur Falls will continue despite Saturday’s
tragedy.
Monday, November 09, 2009
