Christopher Boodram, the lone survivor of the Paria diving tragedy, credits his deceased colleagues for directing him out of the pipeline he had been sucked into on February 25.
Boodram, who was the first witness to give evidence in the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the tragedy on Tuesday morning, said he was in fight for flight mode as he tried to get out of the pipe.
He said he promised the men several times that he wasn't leaving them but that he was going to get help.
During conversations with Fyzal Kurban, Kazim Ali Junior and Yusuf Henry in the immediate aftermath of the accident Boodram said he was told they had been sucked into the pipe feet-first.
This information allowed him to move forward instead of moving backward and eventually led him out of the pipe.
In giving his evidence, Boodram broke down several times, saying the details of that fateful day continue to haunt him.
"I failed them," he cried.
Boodram said when he found Kurban, Ali Junior and Henry, Rishi "Blacks" Nagassar was not with them. He said he and the three other men formed a human chain and were making their way slowly along the pipe. However, he said several parts of the pipe were flooded and he eventually decided to leave Kurban, Ali Junior and Henry behind to try to get help.
Boodram said Ali Junior begged him to stay with them but he could not.
"I told him, we have to get out of here," Boodram testified.
He wept as he recalled getting to the top of the pipeline and not finding any rescue waiting for him. He said when he was rescued he told them his colleagues were still alive in the pipeline.
Boodram broke down again as he recalled being taken to the San Fernando General Hospital, He said there was no preparation for his arrival.
He said he was placed in a room with other patients who had COVID-19. He said a woman died in his bedroom that day.
He was also livid no one from Paria had called his wife to alert her that there had been an accident.
Boodram was cross examined by attorneys for different stakeholders as the enquiry continued into the afternoon.
