Authorities have lost sight of the boat containing bodies which was discovered floating offshore Guyana on Monday afternoon, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill last night reported while emphasising that efforts have been expanded to locate the vessel and have it brought to shore.
The minister also noted that it has been established that no Guyanese vessel or sea crew is missing. Surinamese counterparts were also contacted but there have been no reports of any missing crew or vessel.
Following the discovery, an inter-agency task force comprising members of the Guyana Defence Force coast guard and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) was established to conduct investigations.
Edghill, during an emergency press conference at the Maritime Emergency Rescue Coordination Centre at the Stabroek Wharf in Georgetown, last night said that despite aerial searches by the Guyana Defence Force and ExxonMobil, “there has been no sighting of the boat… [The] last sighting of the boat was at 19:53 last night [Monday] and at the time it was approximately 83 miles offshore Guyana and it was driving in a westerly direction.”
According to the Minister, after the discovery was reported to MARAD by a supply vessel MT20, contracted to work with ExxonMobil, a request was made for the crew to tow the boat close to shore. However, the crew was unable to carry out the exercise as the weather conditions were unfavourable and as such they were unable to get close to the boat.
“The second request was for them to stay and keep an eye on the boat while we seek to mobilise other assets and resources to get that boat captured,” but they lost sight of the boat due to the weather conditions, the minister explained.
During the course of Monday night, the Minister said they made contact with a trawler vessel and requested that it head to the direction to offer assistance in the search but they too were unsuccessful.
He noted that as of yesterday morning the search mission consisted of two coast guard vessels departing from the North West region with members of the Coast Guard, Police, and seafarers who are familiar with the route. A trawler from the private sector with members from the GDF, Edghill indicated, was dispatched at around 5pm yesterday to aid in the search of the missing boat. He opined that by daylight today the vessel will arrive in the general location.
Additionally, he stated that the GDF conducted two aerial searches and both were unsuccessful.
“ExxonMobil one of the stakeholders we worked with last night [Monday], their helicopter conducted a scope of the general area and there has been no sighting. That is what was reported to me at around 4pm this afternoon. They were unsuccessful,” the Minister emphasised.
This has become an unfortunate and distressing situation the minister lamented as he explained that joint searches between the Waini and Pomeroon Rivers came up empty handed.
“Having had five hours of aerial surveillance and scoping of the general area by several boats… this is unfortunately causing distress because we have not seen the boat for the entire day… the joint search conducted today swept the entire Waini River top to the Pomeroon River mouth, with no sighting of any fishing boat and/or decomposing bodies,” Edghill further added.
With the unfavourable weather patterns at sea, the minister said it is unclear what has happened. He pointed out that there are possibilities that the boat could have sunk or drifted in another direction.
Meanwhile, Captain John Flores, Director of Safety at MARAD, explained that from the pictures seen, the boat is relatively small for offshore activities. He noted that from the pictures it seems as if the boat, which measures approximately 20-25 feet, is best suited for a riverain environment.
“It is a fairly deep boat and with the rain and heavy waves it can accumulate water. The weather was fairly bad and that could have happened to the boat because it doesn’t have a top. It is not a big boat, it is very small boat, but we don’t know for sure what happened,” Flores explained.
“Anything we say is highly speculative, it is not conclusive because we can’t find the boat,” Edghill added.
He noted that from the pictures sent by the crew from the MT20 vessel, it appears as if the boat with the deceased bodies has been floating for some time and it is unclear from which direction the boat originated.
The minister noted that there are no visible markings indicating the origin of the boat.
He stated that from the reports, it was evident that the bodies are in an advanced stage of decomposition.
Flores said that if the boat continued to head in a westerly direction it is projected to be at least 31 miles off Waini River by noon today should it continue on its path. He noted that if the boat does not appear at that time they will begin engagement at a higher level to determine the best way forward.
Nevertheless, he said while they will continue to monitor the search mission, they will have to ensure they remain in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn said that preparations have been made to receive the vessel and ranks from the police force are on standby with forensic equipment and protective wear to begin their probe should the boat be brought here.
