The Dramatic Moment President Ali Almost Plunged into the Essequibo River

First Published: 18th of October, 2020

Elections in Guyana have historically taken on a racial overtone. Although the PPP/C calls itself a multi-racial party, its cabinet is predominantly comprised of people of East Indian descent and so is the presidential candidate. And although the main opposition and former government, APNU/AFC also refers to itself as a multi-racial political party, its presidential candidate is, and has also been, a person of African descent.

Needless to say, when the PPP/C won the recent 2020 elections in Guyana, many Guyanese saw this is a political victory as well as a racial victory: the East Indian party has outplayed the African party. And many East Indians saw their presidential candidate as their “savior” of the country.

Some time in the month of October, 2020, President Ali took a tour of several Essequibo Islands, include Leguan Island. There is a video showing the president getting off a small engine boat and stepping onto the stairs leading up to a wharf. As the president disembarked the small craft and stepped down onto the stairway, he stumbled. Now the president is a well built man of considerable weight. Some speculate that his mass times velocity during the fall would have seen him plunging awkwardly into the river…if… That’s right! If it hadn’t been for that man of African descent who was standing there.

No one knows who the man is, but he was a very fit man of African descent and he was one of the persons on the stairway waiting to welcome the president and his team. But no one foresaw that the welcome would have been so warm! He might have very well saved the president’s life!

As president Ali stumbled onto the stairway, he appeared to be headed into the river. But the physically fit and alert young man quickly jumped to the president’s rescue. He grabbed the president and braced him back to safety. The president them walked up the stairway unto the wharf. Now here is a man, a true hero, who might have very well saved the life of the “PPP/C savior.”

The young man of African descent who was standing on the stairs was not expecting the president to stumble, but as soon as he did, he summoned his whole being with lightning speed and jumped to the rescue. Many people of African descent across Guyana saw this as an example of the ironies of life. And they cheered their fellow African for the heroic act.

Now, we do not know whether the president would have actually fallen into the river if that man was not there to catch him. We do not know if he would have been successful in restraining himself. We do not know if he would have fallen onto the stairs, and if he did, what would have been the extent of his injuries if any. We do not know if he would have plunged into the river, and if he did, in what manner…headfirst or with the whole body. Further, we do not know if…if he would indeed have plunged overboard into the into the river…if he would have survived or not. We do not know if he was a good swimmer or not. We do not know how many people in the surroundings were good swimmers.

Further, we do not know the level of water into which he would have plunged if he had indeed plunged. Whether the young man standing there had saved president Ali’s life that day or just saved him a mild inconvenience is a matter of speculation – we can never know for sure.

However, we’ll let you watch the video below and decide for yourself. What do you think would have happened if that man was not there with military awareness to brace the president? Tell us in the comments section.