One week after the MV Barima capsized while en route to Region One, the French specialist dive team assisting Guyana’s search and recovery operation has disclosed that conditions at the wreck site are so dangerous that entering the vessel could put divers’ lives at serious risk.
The update came during a meeting with anxious relatives of the at least 30 people who remain missing, as families sought answers about the ongoing recovery efforts.
The MV Barima capsized on July 18 while travelling to Port Kaituma with approximately 179 people on board. To date, 76 people have been rescued, 73 bodies have been recovered, and at least 30 passengers remain unaccounted for.
A 15-member specialist team from the French Armed Forces in French Guiana was deployed to Guyana to support local authorities in the search, rescue and recovery mission.
Speaking with relatives, one member of the French dive team outlined the immense challenges they have encountered beneath the water’s surface.
“We arrived on Monday, and since Tuesday we’ve completed about 15 dives on the wreck,” the diver said.
He explained that strong tidal currents and poor underwater visibility have made the operation exceptionally hazardous.
“There are very, very difficult environmental conditions, especially because of the tide and the current around the wreck. It’s completely dark, so it’s very difficult for us to navigate through the vessel. We have to feel our way through the wreck; it’s like we are blind,” he explained.
The diver said those conditions make it too dangerous to enter the vessel itself.
“It’s too dangerous for us to go inside the wreck. There are many ropes and hammocks, making it extremely difficult to know where we are going,” he said.
He further explained that the vessel is heavily covered in mud, leaving virtually no visibility underwater.
“We were able to follow the outline of the wreck and try to identify doors, windows, hammocks or anything else. But it’s buried in mud, it’s completely dark, so it’s very, very difficult to locate anything.”
During the discussion, one relative asked whether the vessel could be lifted from the seabed to facilitate the recovery of those still missing.
Responding, the French diver said such an operation would be extremely challenging under the current conditions.
“I think it would be very, very difficult to do something like that,” he said.
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