Drummer Discovered Dead in Lagoon: What We Know About the Death of Sieudass Ramparidath

By Allison Schonter

Barackpore tassa drummer Sieudass Ramparidath is dead after his body was discovered in a lagoon behind his house. Officers with the Barrackpore Police Station are currently investigating in an effort to discern the circumstances that lead to the musician's passing. The investigation is being led by PC Silochan, according to the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. Ramparidath was 45.

Ramparidath was alive and well when his cousin, Paul Ramnath, whom he shared a home with, last saw him on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 23 before leaving the home for work. When Ramnath returned home at around 5 p.m. local time, Ramparidath was not in the house. Ramnath told the Guardian that he checked with "all the neighbours and thing because I know he does move about. When I gone he not nowhere around." Ramparidath's body was later discovered at around 6:30 p.m. lying face-up in about an inch of water in a lagoon located about 200 feet behind their home at Cunjal Road South. Prior to the tragic discovery, Ramparidath was last seen alive a few hours earlier when local children from the village reported that they spotted the musician near the lagoon. Those children told authorities that Ramparidath told them he was going fishing.

"I decide to look but them lil children say they see him in the lagoon catching fish. He can't get no fish there. I decide to take a (torch)light and go and look, the place was dark," Ramnath said. "He can't go there to catch fish, the grass so high. He just drunk and he miss that track and fall in the lagoon and catch the fits."

Ramparidath's body, which police confirmed bore no visible marks of violence, was removed from the lagoon shortly after being discovered. It was transported to the San Fernando General Hospital mortuary. An autopsy, which will help determine Ramparidath's cause of death, was set to take place at the Forensic Science Centre in Port-of-Spain, though it is unclear if the autopsy has been performed yet. Although there is no further information regarding Ramparidath's death, his cousin explained that the musician suffered from seizures and was also known for consuming a lot of alcohol. He said he believes Ramparidath may have misstepped, tripped, and fell into the lagoon while traversing a track which led to their relatives' homes.

According to Ramnath, Rampadirath was a well-known "tassaman" in the community who was "a very good person. He was not a violent person. Everybody around here know him very well and he good with everybody." Rampadirath was not married and had no children.

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