There are many stories that can begin with ‘Once upon a time…’ Like those the oceans hold. Many books can be written to remind us of those lost at sea; their spirits dancing on the waves and singing in wind; birthing mythologies like those linked to natural disasters. For example, hurricanes are said to be the spirit of an African woman who was stolen, beaten, raped and thrown into the ocean from a slave ship. We know that is not the story of one African woman, but a number unknown.
Whether it was storms that made a mockery of the endurance of ships; or an iceberg like the one that led to sinking The Titanic; slaves ships where those who were too proud to be enslaved jumped to their deaths or where bodies were disposed to conceal the crimes of men, the ocean is rich with the mark of tragedy.
But our oceans are also a vast reservoir of life and food. Some of the Earth’s superfoods are from the ocean. Creatures man has never known perhaps hide in the midnight zones of the ocean. Perhaps the sea life will outlive those on land. The Earth’s air is polluted, there are genetically modified foods, we are sicker and dying increasingly at younger ages, strange viruses are plaguing us, the pharmaceutical companies are more invested in creating customers than cures, and our social issues are overwhelming. But even the creatures of the seas are not completely escaping how humans are destroying this planet. We have managed to also pollute the oceans. Garbage, sewage, industrial waste, oil seepage and many more of our actions are anti-life and anti-the future of the planet. Perhaps aliens will someday write ‘once upon a time there was a place called Earth…’
Every so often, something mysterious draws our attention to the ocean. This week it was the boat that was seen offshore Guyana with dead bodies this week. On Monday, there were reports that occupants of an outgoing vessel saw the boat and alerted the authorities. A picture believed to be the boat was shared. Immediately I thought of the makings of a horror movie. Ghosts at sea conjuring storms to wipe the Earth of every trace of life. Zombies emerging from the sea to roam the Earth after the apocalypse.
Speculation abounds. One of the first things I heard is that the crew could have died from COVID. Or maybe they were murdered at sea. Perhaps there were drugs and weapons on the boat with the cadavers. Or perhaps they had just lost their way and died of starvation. It is usual for people to speculate when mysteries like this occur and the truth has not been revealed. Who knows what ‘once upon times’ will be written about this boat.
It was reported that the boat was being towed and was expected early Tuesday morning. But then it was reported that the boat was lost. The authorities claimed that the boat disappeared. Poof, like a magic trick, and it was gone. They thought it might have sunk. They also speculated that the boat may have drifted from as far as Africa.
Like many others I was astounded by the reports. I looked at the Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn and Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and wondered if they sincerely believed that the Guyanese people would accept what they were telling us and question nothing. I have not seen an opinion or spoken to anyone who believe what many would call a ‘Jim Cock Bring Ram Goat’ story. There was nothing to convince me that this tale they were trying to sell us should not begin with ‘once upon a time.’
A boat that was being towed suddenly disappeared and no one knows what happened? The people who were supposed to be watching the boat were asleep or inebriated? Was anyone even watching the boat?
‘Guyana is not a real place’ was starting to trend again.
There are many questions. Questions like: If this boat sailed from as far as Africa, why would it suddenly sink offshore Guyana?
They said there was bad weather on Monday night. Perhaps there was a storm out in the ocean powerful enough to sink the boat, but nothing seemed unusual about the weather to me on Monday night. But if this boat had drifted from as far as they were speculating, would it not have encountered bad weather before? The fact that the Minister of Home Affairs said that the boat was being towed is questionable if the story about the disappearance is to be believed. Apparently, the efforts to tow the boat were unsuccessful, leaving the boat to drift.
Is there a country where men at sea have been reported missing? Are any Guyanese missing at sea? Could it be a case of piracy? Or something even more sinister? Could it be that what was discovered on the boat tells a tale that the authorities want to hide? Or perhaps they do not want the trouble of investigating it?
It is not the first-time that ghost boats have appeared. In recent history, ghost boats have been regularly washing up in Japan since 2013. In 2017, there were ghost ships with 35 dead bodies. Most were said to have originated in North Korea. Often it was fishermen lost at sea who had starved to death.
It was reported that the search for the boat was called off. It was also reported that other countries like Trinidad were alerted to look for the vessel.
We may never unravel the mystery surrounding the ghost boat. But it is disturbing. Not knowing what happens leaves people to speculate and point fingers. Perhaps it could be that the boat sank; or it could be that it just drifted and will soon be found again. But what we can say is that the way the information was presented about the boat suddenly disappearing is questionable.
The people on those boats I am sure left families behind. I am sure if they were alive when they entered that boat it was not their intention to die. And if it was their dead bodies placed on the boat and set to sail, it is likely that murderers are free.
Whatever their fate was, they deserve to be identified and the true account of what happened to be told. We can only hope that the mystery will eventually be solved. But we may never know, and all the stories told in the future about the mysterious boat may very well begin with ‘once upon a time…”
