-67 persons rescued, captain tested positive for cannabis
With dozens missing, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill last night said he was “extremely outraged” after learning that the captain of the MV Barima which capsized on Saturday night tested positive for cannabis and that the official passenger manifest was inaccurate.
He later revealed that the captain and two other crew members are in custody at the Anna Regina Police Station and both he and Prime Minister Mark Phillips said that an investigation has been launched.
The new information coincided with accounts of passengers to Kiskadee Watch who maintained that the boat was overloaded and that crew members were imbibing and smoking. The new revelation means that no one can for certain say how many persons are now missing.
It was also confirmed that the bodies of two persons were discovered.
Speaking at a government press conference, Edghill said he had relied on information provided by officials of the Transport and Harbours Department (THD), but subsequent findings had revealed serious discrepancies that have now become the focus of a criminal investigation.
“I think words like disappointed, hurt, would be insufficient to express my emotions at this time,” Edghill said.
“I relied on the professionals and the staff of the Transport and Harbours Department, of which I’m the minister responsible, to carry out their functions in keeping with their job specifications and their job descriptions. It is clear that was not done.”
Earlier in the day, Edghill had repeatedly rejected claims by survivors that the ferry was overloaded, stating that the MV Barima was certified to carry 284 tonnes of cargo but was transporting only 268 tonnes, while the vessel, licensed to carry more than 300 passengers, had only 116 passengers aboard according to the official manifest. He also maintained that the ferry carried adequate life-saving equipment and noted that 67 survivors had been rescued using inflatable life rafts.
However, Prime Minister Phillips disclosed during the same press conference that several survivors were not listed on the official manifest and that two crew members had tested positive for cannabis during medical examinations, prompting the government to launch a comprehensive investigation.
Edghill said the discovery that rescued passengers were not included on the manifest was “criminal.”
“We were treating this as if I was out there, what I wanted people to do for me, that is what I was doing for those families and we will continue to do that because life is important. But to be confronted with a reality that despite an official manifest was given to us, persons who were rescued were not manifested, that is a criminal action,” he said.
He said the inaccurate manifest had complicated rescue efforts.
“We are looking for 133 persons, 116 on a manifest and 17 crew. We don’t really know the real number right now. The entire search and rescue took us to be able to determine what is really happening,” he said.
Edghill also expressed alarm that routine drug testing had returned a positive result for the vessel’s captain.
He noted that during his tenure as minister, the ministry had implemented random alcohol and drug testing for Transport and Harbours Department personnel and maintained a zero-tolerance policy.
“For us to have positive tests from the captain… I can understand a sailor but not a captain. This is serious. People’s lives are at risk and those matters will be dealt with,” he said.
In answer to a question from the media, Minister Edghill said: “I can’t be prejudiced and say, I’m firing this person, firing that person,” the official said, adding that any action would depend on the outcome of the probe.
He also clarified that the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) was not responsible for the operation of the vessel.
“Transport and Harbours is an operator. MARAD is a regulator,” officials said, explaining that the issues being examined relate to operational breaches.
He also said that management of T&HD would meet immediately following the press conference to determine the next steps, including whether those under investigation should remove themselves from operational duties.
And the minister said that, as of 6 pm yesterday, two deaths had been confirmed. One body had been recovered earlier in the day, while a second, a woman, was found shortly before 6 pm after 15 boats searched mangroves along the shoreline.
He said the search and rescue operation remains active, with the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard continuing to lead the effort, assisted by local fishermen, private sector partners and regional and international agencies offering support.
According to Edghill, specialised scanning technology supplied by private sector partners has been deployed to search for signs of life and locate the submerged vessel, while divers have also been sent to the wreck site.
“We want to locate the vessel. So all of the available technology for scanning, looking for life, riverbed, everything is being deployed as well as divers that were deployed,” he said.
Examine
Meantime, Phillips said the investigation will involve the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Maritime Administration Department and technical maritime experts.
“The investigation will thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, including but not limited to the accuracy of the passenger manifest, the loading of cargo and passengers, compliance with maritime safety regulations and procedures, and the conduct of the captain and crew before and during the voyage,” he said.
And giving a chronological report, Prime Minister said the MV Barima departed the Port of Georgetown at about 3.15 pm on Saturday bound for Port Kaituma with 116 passengers, 17 crew members and approximately 268 tonnes of cargo, according to the official manifest.
At approximately 11 pm, the Timehri Control Tower received a distress signal from the vessel. At around the same time, voice messages from persons aboard also indicated that the ferry was in distress.
Phillips said the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre immediately activated emergency response protocols, mobilising assets from the Guyana Defence Force, the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration Department, the Guyana Police Force, the Civil Defence Commission and private sector partners.
He said the first Coast Guard vessel arrived in the vicinity of Iron Punt at about 2.30 am, and search and rescue operations have continued since then.
As of midday yesterday, he said, 67 persons had been rescued, while preliminary reports indicated that the vessel capsized approximately seven miles offshore in the vicinity of the Pomeroon River.
The Prime Minister said family assistance centres had been established at the Umana Yana in Georgetown and in Port Kaituma and Mabaruma to provide updates, counselling and other support services for relatives.
He disclosed that investigators had subsequently discovered that several rescued persons were not listed on the vessel’s official manifest.
“In addition, medical examinations have confirmed that two members of the crew tested positive for cannabis. These findings are deeply concerning and shocking,” Phillips said.
He stressed that the investigation would determine whether negligence, misconduct or criminal wrongdoing contributed to the disaster.
“Let me be absolutely clear, where negligence, misconduct or criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law. There will be no exceptions and no tolerance for actions that placed innocent lives at risk,” he declared.
Phillips extended condolences to families who lost loved ones and assured those still awaiting news that the government remained committed to deploying every available resource in the search effort.
“We remain committed to deploying every available resource until every possible avenue has been exhausted,” he said.
And Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony said survivors transported to health facilities were receiving medical care for injuries, exposure and trauma.
He said medical teams were also conducting routine examinations, including toxicology screening where required, while counselling and mental health support had been made available to survivors and relatives.
Activated
Also speaking at the press conference, Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud said the ministry activated its emergency response immediately after the tragedy, deploying child protection officers, social workers and psychologists to Mabaruma and Port Kaituma to provide psychosocial support to relatives awaiting news of missing loved ones. Similar teams were also stationed at the Charity Hospital in Region Two to counsel survivors as they arrived following their rescue.
Persaud said ministry personnel worked late into the night providing trauma-focused and grief counselling and would continue offering psychosocial support to survivors and affected families. While expressing sympathy for those still awaiting news, she joined the Prime Minister and Cabinet in extending condolences to families who have lost relatives and assured that the government would continue supporting those affected as search and rescue operations continue.
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