The pontoon, MB Sandaka’s propeller was snagged by weeds around 8:15 am yesterday and slammed into a section of the Berbice River Bridge that is under construction, causing a piece of iron to bend.

Stabroek News learnt that just after the pontoon – bound for the New Amsterdam Stelling – left the Rosignol Stelling at around 7:45 am the grass got caught in the propeller and resulted in the engine cutting off and the boat drifting towards the bridge.

Passengers told this newspaper that the next thing they knew was that the back of the pontoon collided with a section of the bridge and it jerked before coming to an abrupt halt. They said the pontoon was packed with schoolchildren and workers and many persons started to scream.

Afaan Ally, manager of the Rahamat Ally & Sons Sawmill at Rosignol observed that the ferry was experiencing problems and sent his workers out with his tug to assist.

Ally said the tug pulled the pontoon back into the Rosignol Stelling where the problem was rectified before it finally headed to NA.

According to reports by the time the captain was alerted about the weeds it had already become entangled in the propeller. Observers are of the opinion that had the bridge not been there the boat would have drifted “way out in the Atlantic.”

This newspaper understands that the weeds float down from the Canje Creek and that this is not the first time that they have become entangled with the vessels. Fishermen also complained that they have been affected and had asked that the persons who cut the vegetation dispose of it differently.

Contacted, Chairman of Region Six, Zulfikar Mustapha told SN that “it is a normal practice for the workers to cut the grass and loose it in the creek because of the depth. The vegetation is very thick and there is no parapet to put them.”

The chairman said there is an option for the vegetation to be loaded onto a pontoon but apart from it costing a lot of money, the exercise would be very tedious. Further, he said the captains “have to navigate properly to avoid coming in contact with the weed.” (Shabna Ullah)