-3 Venezuelans, 1 Guyanese
(Trinidad Guardian) The T&T Coast Guard Search and Rescue team rescued three Venezuelans and one Guyanese who had been adrift at sea for almost two days. A fifth Venezuelan national, Aspa Labi, 23, is still missing. The survivors, among them a 15-year-old, told local authorities that they were fishing off Venezuela in the Gulf of Paria when their 53-foot fishing vessel named Magarita Mia 2 overturned. They said they left their homeland around 6 pm on Tuesday. But around 8 am on Frirday because of bad weather, their boat capsized. They used floating devices such as water bottles and gas tanks to stay afloat.
The survivors were identified as Juan Gomez, 31, Jose Marin, 15, his uncle Sando Marin, 32 and John Jose Medina, 26. A release from Coast Guard’s public relations officer Lieutenant Kirk Jean-Baptiste stated: “At 7 pm, Coast Guard Staubles Bay received a call from the Captain of tug boat Goliath located three miles east of Mayaro Bay that two persons swam up to their vessel. “The individuals indicated that they were in Venezuelan waters and their vessel overturned with three others onboard,” he said. “At 7.07 pm, the Coast Guard Galeota Base interceptor 029 slipped berth and actioned a search and rescue operation for the three persons… Goliath transmitted that a person was found and they required medical assistance. “029 rescued another, rendezvous with Goliath and transported the four persons to Galeota Base at approximately 2.59 am, on Friday morning.
“They were handed over to medics, police and Immigra-tion to be transported to Mayaro hospital. Both the Guyanese and Venezuelan consulates have been notified.” Arrangements were being made to the Immigra-tion Detention Centre at Aripo to have them returned to their homeland. Up to late yesterday, the fifth person had not been found. Meanwhile, Coast Guard authorities found more than ten barrels of diesel floating close to where the rescue took place.
Authorities said they were not sure whether the floating barrels of diesel came from the boat.
