2 Berbice men feared dead after molasses barge sinks in Atlantic Ocean

Relatives of two men who went missing after a tanker barge sank off the East Coast of Demerara on Monday are clinging to hope that the pair are still alive and awaiting rescue.
Missing are 22-year-old Ravindra Bissoondyal, also known as “Videsh” of Goed Bananen Land, East Berbice Corentyne, 52-year-old, and Gregory Singh, both of whom were working aboard the vessel when it went down sometime after midday.
The men were reportedly on board the tanker barge Trader III, which was transporting a cargo of molasses when the incident occurred.
According to a statement issued by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the vessel sank approximately 9.5 nautical miles off Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
Family members said that shortly before the incident, Bissoondyal made a distressing call to his mother. In a Facebook post, one relative explained that the young man contacted his mother at around 12:05h.
“He called his mother and said he was on the barge and that the barge was sinking,” the relative wrote.
That was the last time his family heard from him. When Guyana Times contacted Bissoondyal’s mother on Monday, she was too distraught to speak and said she was simply waiting for an update on her son.
Meanwhile, MARAD said it received a distress signal about the incident shortly afterwards. In its statement, the agency explained that it was alerted to the emergency and immediately launched a response.
“Immediately upon receipt of the distress communication, emergency response operations were activated for the missing persons,” MARAD stated.
The agency noted that the vessel had been transporting molasses at the time of the incident.
“At the time of the incident, the barge was engaged in the transport of a cargo of molasses from Berbice to Georgetown,” the statement said.
MARAD also disclosed that its Emergency Operations Coordinator, Captain John Flores, is overseeing the search efforts.
“MARAD’s Emergency Operations Coordinator, Capt. John Flores is leading the search and rescue effort, with support of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard, and the vessel owner,” the agency stated.
Search operations were launched soon after the distress call as authorities continue efforts to locate the missing crew members.