By Sunday morning, hope and heartbreak existed side by side.
As search-and-rescue teams scoured the waters off Iron Punt in the Pomeroon River, hundreds of anxious relatives gathered at holding centres, hospitals and wharves, desperately searching for news of loved ones who had been aboard the MV Barima when it capsized late Saturday night.
Many survivors had spent more than nine hours in the water before being rescued. Others were reported to have drifted for at least seven hours, clinging to anything that would keep them afloat as darkness gave way to daylight.
The scale of the disaster quickly became apparent. While officials worked to account for passengers and crew, families complained of a lack of information and mounting uncertainty. Parents travelled to various holding centres hoping their children had been rescued, only to be prevented by police from entering to verify whether they were among those brought ashore.
Throughout the day, relatives repeatedly questioned why so little information was being released and pleaded for updates on those still missing.
At the Essequibo Technical Institute in Anna Regina, emotions boiled over as distressed parents confronted Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, demanding to know what additional measures were being taken to locate their children and other missing relatives.
During the exchange, Anthony spoke of arrangements being made to return relatives to their respective regions once transportation became available. His comments were met with confusion and anger from several parents and persons who were aboard the vessel, many of whom insisted they would not leave until they received answers about their missing family members.
As the tense meeting unfolded, a reporter from Kiskadee Watch who was covering the developments, continued recording the interaction. The minister became visibly agitated, shouting for the cameras to be turned off and instructing the media team to leave the premises.
After initial resistance and unsuccessful attempts by police ranks to remove the reporter, two female police officers escorted her from the building. During the incident, one officer was overheard on the telephone saying that the “problem was taken care of.”
Despite the confrontation, Kiskadee Watch continued speaking with relatives outside the facility.
Several parents alleged that members of the vessel’s crew had been consuming alcohol and smoking substances while operating the ferry. Among them was Adreina, who said she had boarded the vessel with her children and remained hopeful that her six-year-old son would be found alive.
She alleged that crew members were seen drinking and smoking shortly before the vessel went down. She also said as did several other passengers and relatives interviewed, that the vessel appeared to have been overloaded with cargo.
Those allegations were echoed later in the day at Charity Wharf, where families gathered awaiting news from search teams.
Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed arrived at the wharf accompanied by members of his team and was immediately surrounded by anxious relatives eager to recount what they had been told.
One mother told him passengers had raised concerns during the voyage after noticing apparent problems with the vessel before departure and while at sea. She also alleged that sailors had been consuming alcohol during the trip and that warnings from passengers had been ignored.
While at Charity Wharf, Kiskadee Watch observed two Coast Guard vessels moored alongside the wharf. Questions were raised by the media outlet as to why the vessels were not participating in the ongoing search operation. Persons at the location said that personnel were watching the FIFA World Cup at a nearby establishment.
Kiskadee Watch further observing what appeared to be a signal from one of the Coast Guard vessels and which was ignored by an officer close by. It was only after Mohamed’s arrival, that Coast Guard personnel were seen leaving the nearby establishment.
As daylight faded, many relatives were transported back to their home regions with government assistance of $50,000, still without definitive answers about missing loved ones.
Hours later, during an evening press briefing, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill disclosed that preliminary drug tests had returned positive results for the captain of the MV Barima and the vessel’s first engineer. Both men were subsequently arrested.
Edghill said any crew member found to have been operating the vessel while under the influence of narcotics or other prohibited substances would face penalties.
For many families, however, accountability remains a matter for another day. Their immediate concern is far more urgent: finding those who never returned home.
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