The Maritime Administration Department (Marad) has detained the MV Shark for investigation after it was found to be operating illegally, following a distress signal the vessel sent out last Wednesday while travelling on the Essequibo River.
In a press release issued on Monday, Marad said the Motor Vessel (MV) Shark was being operated without a valid certificate of inspection, and the master did not report its departure to the Georgetown Lighthouse on Wednesday, May 15. The vessel is owned by Devindra Umraow and was being operated by Parsram Persaud.
About 11am on the said date, according to Marad, the vessel with four crew members aboard departed Georgetown bound for Port Kaituma, North West District with a load of general cargo. At 4.25pm, the Georgetown Lighthouse received a telephone call from a representative of the operator, “stating that it was disabled and taking in lots of water. It was abandoned by the crew as the cargo shifted and some went overboard. The deck was flooded and the vessel took on a dangerous list as it lost positive stability.” The position of the vessel at this time was given as approximately 10 miles off Leguan Island, Essequibo River. Marad said it immediately activated its Search and Rescue System and informed the Coast Guard and all vessels in the general area about the distress. No vessel was nearby so Marad dispatched the Pilot Launch Kakabelli, which departed Georgetown at 5pm and proceeded to the area.
“The crew did a visual and communication search for the Shark until 21:30 hours. However, there was no contact or sighting of the vessel,” Marad said.
Throughout this period, the Lighthouse was broadcasting emergency messages for other vessels to assist in the search. They were also in contact with the person who had chartered the vessel who had been interested in the efforts to locate it.
At 5.10am on Thursday May 16, the Pilot Launch Thompson departed Georgetown and continued the search for the MV Shark. It returned to port at 8am to be replaced by Kakabelli; however, while Kakabelli was being refuelled, the operator of Shark called to report that it was located on the beach off the Essequibo Coast near Anna Regina.
When the report was confirmed, the Department called off the search and rescue operation and informed all parties accordingly. The vessel has since returned to Georgetown, where it has been detained for investigation.
