Despite the commencement of salvage operations of the MV Barima, relatives of those who died in the July 18 tragedy are continuing their protests, insisting that they will not end the demonstrations until they see the vessel brought to the surface.
Among them yesterday was Georgina Lowe who lost her two youngest sons, Kyle and Brian, in the tragedy. She and the rest of the families want tangible results from the authorities rather than continued assurances, as the uncertainty surrounding their loved ones whereabouts continues to take an emotional toll on them.
“We want to see action. We can’t only go by hearing and, you know, they’re promising and nothing ain’t doing,” Lowe expressed while sharing in the protest outside the Office of the President on Vlissengen Road.
Lowe is the mother of eight children and the two sons she lost were her youngest, Kyle and Brian. She believes that seeing the boat raised would bring her satisfaction, particularly because she continues to struggle with not knowing where her sons are.
“I would be satisfied,” she said, explaining that she remained worried because she did not know where her sons were. “I’m still worried because I don’t know where is he? Like, where is my son?” she said while trying to hold back her tears.
Lowe said she was not even sure if the vessel would ever be raised. “I just have to keep praying and trusting God; that is all I could do,” she said.
She also expressed disappointment with the assistance provided to bereaved families, saying that despite promises of long-term support, the help she received from the Government was limited to grocery hampers delivered on approximately three occasions so far.
She said she had received no financial assistance and that persons delivering the hampers would simply drop them off at her East Coast Demerara home and leave, without checking on how she and her family were coping.
According to Lowe, those deliveries have since stopped.
Another relative continuing to demand answers is Diann Cort, wife of Neil Cort, who remains missing following the tragedy. She said her husband’s personal belongings were still at the vessel’s canteen, while the family was left without the long-term support promised by the Government.
Cort said that since relatives began protesting, government officials and support personnel had stopped visiting or contacting her to find out how she was managing financially and emotionally.
Cort said her husband had been the family’s breadwinner and that she was now relying on savings he had accumulated before his death to meet household expenses.
She disclosed that the only financial assistance she currently receives from the Government is $20,000 in monthly public assistance, with no additional financial support forthcoming.
Although her husband had never really wanted her to work, Cort acknowledged that she might eventually have to find employment to sustain herself. She also expressed concern about the counselling and other support services previously offered to affected families, saying that the probation officers who had been visiting and maintaining contact were no longer checking on them since they started to protest.
She questioned the usefulness of counselling when families continued to feel abandoned and unsupported, adding that her daughter was also expected to receive counselling.
She said she would not stop protesting until the vessel was physically recovered, insisting that she wanted to see it brought to the surface with her own eyes rather than rely on announcements and promises.
Just recently, BK International was awarded a $1.034 billion contract to recover the wreck off Devonshire Castle Flats, Essequibo Coast, under a “no cure, no pay” arrangement. However, relatives have continued to question the pace of the operation and demand clarity on when the vessel will be raised.
The published award record did not specify a mobilisation or recovery deadline, the approved salvage method or the detailed conditions governing the operation.
On October 28, Venezuelan diver Luis Martinez, 66, died during diving operations at the wreck site. Police reported that he became unresponsive after entering the water and was subsequently pulled to the surface by crew members.
In a statement, BK Group Executive Chairman Brian Tiwarie said the contracted diver apparently had pre-existing medical conditions and suffered a heart attack, according to the doctor aboard the operation. The company said a full-time doctor was present during the operations.
The MV Barima tragedy claimed 73 lives, while 76 persons survived. More than three months after the sinking, relatives of those who remain missing are still hoping that recovering the vessel will provide an opportunity to retrieve their loved ones and obtain answers about what caused the disaster.
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