Five persons who were travelling in an outboard engine vessel that capsized on Monday near Fort Island in the Essequibo River were rescued by the GDF Coast Guard at around 1345 hours.
Thirty-one year old Dennis Williams, a chainsaw operator and father of three, along with Babi, Dean, Mark and another man known as ‘Black Ants’ were in an outboard vessel when it capsized midstream between Fort Island and the eastern bank of the river due to a mishap which occurred more than a mile from land on either side, the GDF said in a news release.
And according to Williams, the release said, it would have been difficult for any of them to reach land since no one had been wearing life jackets and the vessel was not equipped with any flotation devices.
He recounted that as they clung to the partially submerged vessel, the Coast Guard motor life boat (MLB) appeared on the scene moments after the incident and the ranks aboard assisted them out of the choppy waters and to safety.
The Coast Guard towed the capsized vessel to the eastern bank of the river and helped the men to right it in order to save the equipment on board and the vessel was then towed to Fort Island.
Williams and the other persons praised the Coast Guard for rescuing them, the release noted.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard is urging all vessel owners and operators to ensure that their vessels are outfitted with flotation devices and life jackets. The Coast Guard is also advising persons travelling in vessels which ply Guyana’s waterways to ensure their safety by using life jackets.
