-fishing boat captain has different version
By Tiffny Rhodius
The Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) yesterday said that its ferry had tried to avoid the fishing vessel, the Regina II, before they collided on Wednesday night off the Pomeroon coast and the captain of the latter recounted the harrowing experience which led to the vessel sinking.
The collision which occurred at 23:50 hours resulted in the Regina II sinking. However, its captain said that the ferry did not have any lights and disputed the T&HD statement about assistance being lent to the crew. Transport Minister Robeson Benn has denied that the ferry was without lights and said it was more likely the case that the Regina 11 was not illuminated.
The MV Barima had left Georgetown on its scheduled fortnightly voyage to Port Kaituma, North West District, when according to the statement from the T&HD the Regina II was seen by the Barima “quite close on an irregular course”. In an effort to avoid a collision the Barima had reduced its speed and turned but the collision nevertheless occurred. All crew members on board the Regina II survived the collision and boarded the Barima before their boat sank.
The Regina, a 55-foot-long wooden fishing trawler was captained by Junior George and its crew members were Sean Primo, Ahmad Khan, Rudolph Powley, Sheldon and John Wickham and Timol Wilson.
The T&HD statement went on to say that the watch on board the Barima was quick to render assistance to save all the occupants of the sinking boat and some of their belongings and later provided meals and first aid to the injured crew member. However George disputed this statement.
Detailing the events of that harrowing night, George said that his vessel had finished picking up their line at about 11 pm. They were in the vicinity of Iron Punt and George related that after dinner he handed over the wheel to his second in command, Sean Primo and went to “lie down”. “All I hear is this ‘patax’ and I run outside and see this hole in the port side of the boat and it taking on water,” George recalled. He speculated that the ferry was probably turning and that is why the port side was hit.
He said that as the boat began to take on water he took over the wheel from Primo who had sustained an injury over his left eye when the collision occurred. George said that he navigated the fishing boat to catch up with Barima because the ferry had kept on going. He said it seemed that it was unaware that it had hit his vessel.
When asked at this time if the lights of the ferry were not visible, George said that the ferry did not have any lights and asserted that his vessel had its navigation lights and his ‘blinky’ on. He further said that neither Primo, who was manning the wheel at the time, nor the watch, Ahmad Khan, saw the ferry.
George said that after he took control of the wheel he eventually came alongside the ferry and he and his crew boarded. He said he then went in search of the captain of the MV Barima. “When I go up on the ship I went to the wheel house and I had to ask for the captain cause the place was dark. The wheel house was dark,” he added. “I ask he for help we tie off we boat alongside the ship and he say `no, me boat gon’ capsize he own.’” George said after his request was denied he then asked if he could at least get help to remove some of their belongings “but by the time we shape up [to do so] it was too late. The boat had already sink only the ice box we see.” When told that the T&HD statement said that they were able to save some of their belongings, George insisted that “nobody got nothing save is what we had when we went on the ship is what we get”.
After watching the Regina disappear under the water, which the T&HD statement approximated to be around 00:30 hours, George said that the Captain of Barima radioed the MV Kimbia to pass on the message of the collision. He said that the ship’s captain then got “a guy” to take down all their names and “other stuff” and he said that torchlight had to be used for the man to log the names since there was “no light itself inside the captain cabin”. He went on to say that they were later placed in a room and George said while they did provide a first aid kit that was all that was done. “Is Rudolph (Powley) help clean up Khan eye.” George also denied that meals were provided to them. He said that it was the passengers who were asking if they were in the accident who later gave them money so that they could buy coffee and bread the morning after the collision.
George said that the MV Barima docked at Morawhanna around 10 the following morning and his crew along with the captain of the Barima and three of his sailors made their way to the police station where the captain of the Barima gave his statement on what had occurred. George and his crew then gave their statement and he said that his boss, Pradeep Abdool the owner of the ship, made contact with them and told them that he had chartered a plane for them to return to the city. George said that they got a ride from the Police boat to Barima and had to sleep in the hospital since they had nowhere else to stay. The following morning (yesterday) he said, “We had to beg for money to buy breakfast and get bus fare to go to the airstrip.”
George said that the incident has shaken him and he thanked God that they all survived the collision. “It shock me. Like me ain’t know how I end up there [on the Barima]; God was with me cause me ain’t know how I reach over.” The crew of the Regina II arrived in at the Ogle Airport around 2.30pm yesterday.
boarded “The MV Barima resumed course
