…diving operations suspended due to hazardous conditions
The families of those affected in the MV Barima tragedy will have the final say on whether the vessel is salvaged or whether the site is preserved as a memorial.
This announcement was made during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister (PM) on Tuesday evening, where PM Mark Phillips was questioned about a decision on the salvaging of the vessel.
Up to 19 vessels and multiple aircraft have been coordinated through a multi-agency response, and various regional bodies have offered to assist in the MV Barima salvaging process.
According to the PM, while these offers have been made to assist with salvaging the vessel, the Government remains committed to honouring the wishes of the families.
“We are aware there’s a commission of inquiry, but we also gave a commitment to the family that we will follow their wishes. So I’m saying there are a lot of offers to salvage, right? And also then there is this [possibility] of creating a memorial site. However, whether we salvage the vessel or we go with the construction of a memorial site, it has to be done in keeping with the wishes of the family.”
The PM also confirmed that President Dr Irfaan Ali was in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), meeting with families of those still missing, survivors and victims of the tragedy.
As part of those discussions, family members are being asked to formally indicate whether they support salvaging the vessel or preserving the site as a memorial.
Questions were also raised about the safety and feasibility of establishing a memorial site, given the vessel’s location beneath approximately 11.5 metres of water.
Addressing those concerns, the PM said any decision would be informed by technical assessments and engineering considerations before work begins.
“The whole issue about safety and everything will be considered in that process. I cannot answer that here. You know it is out at sea, right? It is at 11.5 metres of water. So all these considerations will be taken on board if the move is towards making a memorial site. All those will be considered as part of the whole design and construction of that memorial site.”
While discussions continue over the future of the capsized MV Barima, diving at the site was suspended on Monday.
“Diving was suspended yesterday [Monday] in terms of search and recovery, and if diving has been suspended, it leaves us with two options now: either the vessel remains in its current position as is, or we entertain one of the offers to salvage it, and as I said, the family’s wishes will guide us as to which of the two options is pursued,” PM Phillips said.
Over the weekend, French military divers have described the operation as highly hazardous, citing near-zero visibility, strong underwater currents and tangled ropes and hammocks inside the vessel as major challenges.
Speaking during a briefing with relatives of the missing at the Charity Operations Centre on Sunday, members of the French military dive team said the difficult underwater conditions have severely constrained search and recovery efforts at the wreck site.
According to one French military officer, the team has completed approximately 15 dives since arriving in Guyana. However, divers have been forced to operate in complete darkness, relying almost entirely on their sense of touch to navigate the vessel’s interior.
Guyana Times had reported that last Sunday, President Dr Irfaan Ali assured relatives of those still missing following the MV Barima tragedy that any decision to establish a memorial at the site where the ferry sank would rest entirely with the families of the victims. The assurance came during a meeting with relatives at Charity, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where the head of State provided an update on the ongoing search and recovery operation.
During the engagement, relatives expressed concerns about what would happen if some of their loved ones were never recovered. They suggested that the area where the MV Barima sank be designated a memorial site bearing the names of those who perished as well as those who remain missing. Responding to the request, President Ali told the families that no decision would be made without their agreement.
COI & vessel recovery
Meanwhile, addressing the forthcoming Commission of Inquiry (COI), Captain John Flores said the inquiry’s focus will be determined by its terms of reference and the evidence presented by witnesses, rather than by the recovery of the vessel itself.
According to Captain Flores, investigators are expected to rely heavily on testimony from the vessel’s Captain, engineers, and other witnesses, as well as those involved in coordinating and assisting with the rescue efforts, including fishermen who responded to the incident.
He noted that recovering the vessel is unlikely to provide significant additional evidence, explaining that unlike an aircraft, the MV Barima is not equipped with a “black box” capable of recording operational data.
“Now, the COI will determine the terms of reference or the questions [surrounding the situation] [The data would come from] the witnesses themselves, the people, the Captain, the engineers and so on. It will come from the people who coordinated any rescue effort, which are us, and probably the people who assisted, which are fishermen and other people who assisted. I don’t see the vessel itself having any… there’s no black box in the vessel like an aircraft to see what went wrong.”
Captain Flores added that investigators already have access to navigational charts, water depth measurements, meteorological data and other relevant information, all of which will be submitted to the Commission of Inquiry.
He further stated that unless the vessel had collided with another object – which available evidence does not suggest – the wreck itself is unlikely to reveal substantially more than the information already available.
The Commission is also expected to examine documentary records relating to the vessel, including its registration, passenger capacity, maintenance history and repairs carried out over the years.
MV Barima was en route to Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), with 179 persons onboard when it capsized and sank off the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
While at least 76 persons survived the horrific boat accident, 73 have been confirmed dead and another 30 are still missing.
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