Amid emotional scenes yesterday afternoon, the three– man crew of the Captain Sunil who were reported missing two weeks ago, reunited with their families at the GDF Coast Guard base at Ruim-veldt.
Jairam Surujpaul, his brother Jirgodhan Surujpaul and their cousin Lochan Teserdeen were rescued on Friday by the Coast Guard in the Kamwatta area in the Moruca Sub-Region.
The men arrived at Ruimveldt shortly after 4:30 yesterday afternoon after a long journey from the North West area where they were rescued by the Coast Guard. The men were greeted by their relatives who sat and waited at the army base for more than five hours yesterday afternoon.
Jirgodhan, the foreman who was in charge of the vessel, told Stabroek News shortly after their arrival that he and his colleagues ventured out to sea from the Strathspey area around twilight on July 31; they had returned to land only a few hours before. He said that all was well until later that Saturday evening when the vessel’s engine, a 40 hp Yamaha engine, “start give problems”.
He said the problem was rectified but a few hours later they encountered the very problem and he noted that attempts were made to contact the owner of the vessel, Winston Goriah, and relatives but the phone which they had in their possession needed to be charged.
He could not say what was their location at the time but he noted that the vessel began to drift with the tide. The tired-looking man noted that the trip was expected to last one day but he noted that the crew was in possession of enough rations to carry them for another two days.
He said during this time, the engine continued to develop mechanical problems and as the days went by the vessel began to drift further out to sea and he, the only experienced crew member, and his colleagues made desperate attempts to fix the engine.
Almost one week into the journey, Jirgodhan noted that they were successful in signalling another vessel and he noted that the crew on board attempted to help them, by towing them into shore but he noted that such efforts were abandoned as the vessel cited its own obligations and it was also difficult for them to be pulled by the vessel against the tide. He noted too, that he and his brother wrote the telephone numbers for the owner of the vessel as well as their relatives to inform same that they were alive and that the engine had developed mechanical problems.
He said that last weekend, the vessel finally reached the shoreline in the Waini area and on a few occasions the boat got stuck on sand banks as they tried to moor the small vessel, but the crew was successful in reaching the shore a few days later.
His brother Jairam told Stabroek News that the crew survived by eating boiled fish while they boiled sea water for drinking water. The frail looking man stated that he began to give up on ‘faith’ but noted that the crew spotted a Coast Guard vessel on Friday morning and their hopes of survival were renewed.
Lieutenant Andre Cush, Officer Commanding (acting) of the Maritime Law Enforcement Division of the Coast Guard told Stabroek News that the operation, which lasted some 66 hours, saw some 120 odd nautical miles along the coastland being scoured in search of the men after the military unit were provided with a location on the vessel’s whereabouts last week.
He said that extensive searches were undertaken by him and the 7-man crew with the two vessels which ventured out in search of the men. Cush said that GPS coordinates on the Captain Sunil’s location which were provided by another vessel, were being tracked by the army and around 12:30 on Friday, the vessel and crew were found in the Kamwatta area in the Moruca Sub-Region.
Cush said that when the men were found they appeared tired while Jairam exclaimed that he had already given up hope of surviving the ordeal. He said the men were taken to the Mabaruma area where they sought medical attention while they were given food and contact was subsequently made with their families.
Asked whether an investigation will be launched into the string of events leading to the vessel being reported missing, Cush noted that after the Coast Guard was informed of the incident, the aim of the search and rescue exercise was to locate and assist the men. He said that the operation was skillfully handled by his crew and he noted that the event was good for the image of the Coast Guard.
The men’s relatives meanwhile, sat and waited for almost 5 hours at the Ruimvelt location yesterday, as a scheduled arrival time of 11 am stretched their patience. They said that the incident saw them almost giving up hope but the Surujpauls’ nephew Ramotar, told this newspaper that the family believed that the men would have survived the ordeal since Jirgodhan was an experienced seaman.
Goriah meanwhile, expressed appreciation to the military, the media and all concerned and he noted that he will make attempts to purchase communication devices such as a radio, as well as a hand held GPS device for his vessel, as advised by Lieutenant Cush. He said that any lingering questions regarding the incident will have to be answered by the men, and he noted that the important thing was that they are alive.
The three men left the East Coast of Demerara on July 31 and were expected back on August 3. It was reported that the vessel had encountered engine trouble and that the boat strayed off course and last week, another fisherman contacted Goriah regarding the vessel and he in turn immediately contacted the Coast Guard.
The fisherman who passed on the message regarding the men’s whereabouts was called the ‘Good Samaritan‘ of the high seas yesterday by the men’s relatives and efforts were still being made to contact the individual yesterday by relatives to express their gratitude.
The Captain Sunil is relatively new to the sea, as Goriah purchased same, along with the engine and fishing seines, early last month.
Families of the men expressed doubt yesterday that their loved ones will return to sea.
