According to media reports, a government-owned ferry departed from Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, on July 18 at around 3 p.m. The destination of the trip was the village of Port Kaituma, which can be reached by sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Almost eight hours into the 24-hour journey, authorities received an emergency signal from the ferry, prompting the immediate mobilization of Guyana’s coast guard and air forces, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), private vessels, and emergency medical teams.
Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips announced on Monday that at least 69 people were rescued, but 83 are still missing.
Ferry passenger Leon Murray told the local news agency Ignite News that about four hours after departing Georgetown, someone shouted that the ship was sinking.
When the ship capsized, the man managed to surface and, using a life jacket, stayed afloat. He drifted and called for help until he found his son and three other people holding onto a floating box.
L. Murray said that he and his son survived, but his wife, daughter, and four grandchildren are still missing: “Six of them disappeared.”
Another survivor, Elena Moonsammy, told journalists from the local news site Kiskadee Watch that the ferry tilted after being hit by a huge wave. According to the woman, water then quickly began flooding inside the ship.
She said she survived because she found a floating box among the debris and held onto it. The victim said she managed to save another woman, whom she urged to cling to the same box.
Local ferry
According to authorities, the ferry “MV Barima” capsized near the Atlantic Ocean coast, about 11 kilometers from shore, while sailing from the capital Georgetown to the village of Port Kaituma.
Based on data from the tracking website VesselFinder, this 40-meter-long ferry was built in 1939.
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Captain and crew detained
The captain and other crew members are currently detained by the police, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said at a press conference held on Sunday.
He initially stated that there were no signs that the ferry operator had “acted irresponsibly.” However, later that same evening, he reported that the captain and at least one other crew member tested positive for marijuana.
“The search and rescue operation is still ongoing,” the minister said. “So to those family members worried about their loved ones, we want to say that we are doing everything humanly possible to find them.”
Unclear number of passengers
Officials initially said there were 133 people on board, but after reviewing boarding footage, they determined that 179 passengers were on the ferry.
J. Edghill noted that early rescue operations were hampered by darkness and the lack of vessels equipped with scanners capable of searching for survivors, so rescuers had to rely solely on their eyes and ears.
According to the minister, after oil and gas sector companies deployed vessels with scanners and the government mobilized divers, active searches for bodies began. Authorities also decided to expand the search area from 400 sq km to 1,040 sq km.
Complications in the search are also caused by the fact that many rescued people were not even listed on the ferry passenger list, indicating that the list is inaccurate, which hinders rescue operations because authorities do not know how many people they are looking for.
Guyana’s Prime Minister indicated that the ship declared a cargo of 268 tons, and its capacity was 284 tons. He added that the ferry was authorized to carry more than 300 passengers and was equipped with 250 life jackets, six inflatable lifeboats, and two rigid lifeboats.
“Let me be absolutely clear: if negligence, improper conduct, or criminal acts are found, those responsible will be punished to the full extent of the law,” M. Phillips said.
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