A heartbreaking tragedy unfolding in Guyana has sparked national outrage and international concern, after 11-year-old Adrianna Younge, initially reported missing, was later found dead under suspicious circumstances at a hotel pool in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.
According to information provided to Saint Lucia Daily Post by journalist Travis Chase, Adrianna was among family members enjoying a poolside outing at the Double Day Hotel on Wednesday afternoon when she disappeared around 1 p.m. Her worried grandmother filed a missing person report shortly thereafter.
Shockingly, the hotel’s owners, Bhojnarine Bhola and Maya Sukhraj Bhola, allegedly refused the desperate family and concerned residents access to search the premises for the missing child. Tensions quickly escalated, leading to protest action in the area.
The initial police statement, issued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and later retracted, only deepened public suspicions. That statement alleged Adrianna had been abducted — claiming surveillance footage showed her entering a red and black Raum motorcar with registration PSS 4684, which then drove away toward Vreed-en-Hoop. Police also stated that they had traced the vehicle to a location in Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara, and were pursuing a suspect identified only as “Orlando.”
However, the GPF later admitted major inaccuracies in their reporting, stating that an internal review was underway to determine how such flawed information was released. Officers involved in the preparation of the initial report are now being interviewed.
Adding to the family’s anguish, Adrianna’s body was not discovered until after the hotel pool had been searched three separate times. Her parents have formed the chilling belief that the body was planted there after the searches.
Further fueling the public’s alarm, video footage allegedly taken on the night of Adrianna’s disappearance appears to show the hotel pool visibly clear. Yet when Adrianna’s body was finally found, it reportedly bore visible bruises — raising urgent and painful questions about what really happened to the child.
In response to the mounting controversy, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali has ordered an independent autopsy. Barbadian-based pathologist Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul arrived in Guyana Thursday evening to oversee the examination. As of press time, the autopsy had not yet been conducted.
Meanwhile, the hotel’s owners and several staff members have been in police custody since Wednesday. Authorities have restricted media access to them, prompting additional public criticism about the lack of transparency.
The case has gripped Guyana, sparking protests, accusations of a cover-up, and demands for justice for Adrianna Younge. The Guyana Police Force has urged the public to remain calm as investigations continue, but with each passing day, frustrations and suspicions are growing.
Saint Lucia Daily Post will continue to monitor this developing story closely.
