The search continues for the four fishermen who went missing after they ventured out 11 days ago to help recover one of their boats which had sent out a distress signal. The boat that sent the signal has since returned to shore.
The four men were identified as Hazrat Razack also called ‘Denno’, Cicil Persaud, Vickram Singh, and Worrin Yip-sam. On November 16th they went to help one of their red snapper boats from which a distress signal was received.
Subrina Bahadur, Razack’s daughter, told Stabroek News on Sunday that a team went in search of the men but returned because of the inclement weather.
Bahadur recalled that just two months prior, the same red snapper boat had a similar issue.
“They went out and spent two days at sea and came back. The boat which they left with is slightly smaller and has a smaller battery. They left with an alternator and battery to assist the red snapper boat,” she recounted.
Bahadur said that the family expected the men to return by November 18 and when that day passed, they became worried and contacted MARAD (Maritime Administration Department) – for assistance. “Maritime reached out and sent a radio signal but they did not get any response,” she said..
The family became more worried when the red snapper boat that sent the distress signal, returned to shore. “They said my father never reached them.”
Malisa Rashid, a relative of another fisherman stated that the captain of the red snapper boat related to the family that he received assistance from another passing boat and he ended up repairing the engine himself and returned to shore.
“Ten days have gone by since they left with only two days’ worth of food and one tank of drinking water and since they left on the 16th; we haven’t heard back anything,” Rashid said.
She related on Saturday that the nephew of ‘Denno’, who has four boats, said that he had seen the missing fishermen’s boat in shark infested waters, however, nobody was aboard the vessel.
