MV Barima tragedy -“All you could hear were whistles” – hero fisherman recounts race to save survivors

Local fisherman Haresh Singh, one of the first civilians to respond to the sinking of the MV Barima and who also subsequently found the location of the missing vessel, has shared a moving account of the overnight rescue operation, describing the desperate efforts to save passengers who were left stranded in rough waters.
Singh said he received an urgent call at around midnight on Saturday from Regional Chairman Devin Mohan and Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Mandalall Ramraj, requesting his assistance after reports emerged that passengers from the vessel were floating at sea. “I received a call from the Chairman and Minister Ramraj. They said there were people floating after the steamer sank and asked me to help. I told them, ‘No problem.’

I left my bed immediately and within three to four minutes I was at the waterside,” Singh recalled. He quickly mobilised his brother and other fishermen and the group departed in their fishing boat to search for survivors. Singh said the conditions were extremely challenging, with rough seas and little visibility. After making contact with a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard vessel, the fishermen were directed towards the Hackney area. Singh said he advised the Coast Guard to launch distress flares while the smaller fishing boats sped ahead to begin the search. “When we reached there, the Coast Guard had already started picking up some survivors,” he said. Recalling the rescue, Singh described the scenes as heartbreaking. “The situation was very traumatising. The hardest part was seeing the children. We gave them biscuits and water, but hearing parents talk about losing their loved ones broke my heart,” he said. One father’s story, Singh noted, deeply affected him. “He told me he held onto his children, but his wife was gone. That brought tears to my eyes,” he recounted. While searching the area, Singh said he noticed fuel, personal belongings and other debris floating on the water, leading him to believe the vessel had sunk nearby. He relayed the information to the Coast Guard to assist with the search. The fishermen rescued 11 survivors, including two young children, two girls, one woman and several men.

“All you could hear were whistles. They were desperate to survive,” Singh said.

Own experience
Drawing on his own experience of surviving a boating accident years ago, Singh said he understood what the survivors were enduring. “I once floated in the water for seven hours after my own boat sank. I know that trauma. The only thing going through your mind is, ‘God, let me live.’” The rescue effort was eventually cut short after two children and one adult aboard Singh’s boat lost consciousness and had to be rushed ashore for medical treatment. Despite the emotional ordeal, Singh said he remains committed to helping locate the vessel and those still missing.
“My job now is to find this boat and bring it ashore so families can get answers. Whether their loved ones are alive or dead, we have to find them,” he said.
He also praised the coordinated response by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the GDF Coast Guard, police and fellow fishermen, saying everyone worked together with one goal to save as many lives as possible.