A one-man protest was staged outside the Office of the President on Vlissengen Road this morning, with Preston John calling on the Government to take steps to float the MV Barima in an effort to retrieve some of his belongings and to gain further information about the circumstances surrounding the death of his brother, Oxwell John.
John, who is originally from Dartmouth Village on the Essequibo Coast but now lives on the East Coast Demerara, held a placard stating “Float the boat” as he appealed to the Government to act.
He said his brother’s body was recovered and buried, but he believes important items that were aboard the vessel when it sank may still be recoverable. “He was travelling with some important things,” John told Kiskadee Watch. Although some of the belongings may have been damaged by salt water, he believes others could still be retrieved if the boat is floated.
Among the items, he said, was a dredge, which he acknowledged may no longer be in working condition after going down. However, John said he also wants to determine where exactly his brother was positioned on the boat before it went down. He recalled seeing a video recorded on the vessel before it sank, showing his brother lying in a hammock. “I saw him in a hammock rocking, so I want to know exactly which side of the boat he was in the hammock,” John said.
He explained that knowing where his brother was positioned could help the family establish which side of the vessel went down and potentially provide further information about what happened.
John noted that Government procedures may be responsible for the pace at which efforts are progressing but said he believes citizens also have a role to play in pressing authorities for action. “The Government got to do what they got to do. But we as citizens got to do what we got to do,” he said, adding, “The power is in our hands. It’s not in the hands of the Government. The power is in the hands of the people.”
John said he believes collective pressure from citizens could encourage the authorities to move forward with efforts to float the vessel. He described his one-man protest as a message to remind the Government of the family’s request. “This is a message. It’s to remind the Government that we ask, and not only myself,” he said, adding that other family members also want the vessel floated but could be reluctant to publicly protest.
Wednesday was John’s first protest, but he said he intends to continue pressing the issue through future protests.
President Irfaan Ali had announced that efforts would be made to float the MV Barima, which capsized and sank on July 18 while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, Region One, killing dozens of passengers.
The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) subsequently invited qualified marine salvage companies to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs), with the deadline set for August 14. MARAD said the vessel, which lies in approximately 13 to 15 metres of water off the Essequibo Coast, presents significant technical challenges because of strong currents, poor underwater visibility and difficult sea conditions, while any salvage operation must also protect and document evidence that could assist the Commission of Inquiry.
Although the President said about 10 companies had submitted EOIs and that several had been shortlisted, the Government has not publicly disclosed the names of the companies that responded or the number ultimately shortlisted.
Discussion