The search for the three fishermen who went missing after the Noble House Seafoods trawler sank on February 19 near the Mahaica River has been suspended.
The announcement was made in the presence of the families of Captain Harold Damon, Winston Sam, Ronald Burton and the lone survivor Vincent Dazzell by Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill.
During the meeting which took place at the Public Works Ministry, it was disclosed that after covering over 1800 nautical miles within 936 hours, neither the fishermen nor the vessel could be found. The search was undertaken by Noble House Seafoods, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard.
Edghill, in expressing his sympathy to the families, said “at this point, I do not know what else I can do in terms of search. It is a tough decision but we would have to suspend the search and go into a new phase of being on the alert while we continue to traverse the areas praying that we find something”.
“MARAD has assured me that the sonar equipment which scans the riverbed, was damaged during the search. As soon as we could get the parts, we will do a scanning of the seabed again once we get that fixed,” the Minister was quoted by DPI as saying.
While there are many unanswered questions, the Minister said he is saddened that the search has to be suspended until any new information surfaces. The Minister said he wants the families to be assured that Government has done everything possible to bring the matter to a close.
He also highlighted to the families that there has never been a search for missing persons as extensive and within such a long period, as the search for the three missing fishermen.
“Some people felt that I would have suspended the search after a couple of days and you are not seeing anything floating but I know that there are human beings with real emotions that are looking for answers and I would also want as a person in the discharge of my responsibility as the Minister responsible for the sector, to ensure that everything that was humanly possible, every resource that is available to the State and to the Private Sector was utilised to ensure that we get answers,” Edghill stated in a DPI report.
The report stemming from the Board of Inquiry which was launched into the matter will be made available on Monday, the Minister said. A copy of the report, he assured, will be made available to the families of the missing fishermen.
“If you have any questions, concerns or any information that could help us at the end of reading that report, my office remains open and available to you for engagement,” he said.
Missing men
The Noble House Seafoods Limited-owned vessel reportedly capsized in the Atlantic Ocean the morning of February 19, some 18 miles off of the Mahaicony Coast.
This incident has left the vessel’s 44-year-old Captain, Harold Damon of Lot 4 Water Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, and two crew members: 46-year-old Winston Sam of Lot 32 Public Road, McDoom, Greater Georgetown; and 78-year-old Ronald Burton of Lot 23 Water Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, missing.
A fourth crew member, Vincent Dazzell, who survived the tragedy, was rescued by another fishing boat and brought to shore on the afternoon of the incident.
Following the sinking of the vessel, a high-level BoI was set up by the Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sunken vessel.
Concerns were raised over the length of the time it took Noble House Seafoods Limited to report to the relevant authorities that the vessel was in distress – something which they could face sanctions for.
It was also revealed that the vessel’s captain was operating under a fraudulent licence – another grave infraction. Suspicions were also raised about the information provided to authorities by Dazzell.
Meanwhile, some nets suspected to have belonged to the trawler were found but to date, there has been no sight of the missing boat.
The BoI – comprising Yurlander Hughes of the Transport and Harbour Department, Captain John Flores of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Ronald Charles of the Ministry of Public Works, Rawle Williams of the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, Ewart Wray of the Guyana Police Force Maritime Unit, an Occupational Safety and Health Officer at the Labour Ministry Dwayne Vyphius, and Head of the Fisheries Department at the Agriculture Ministry Denzil Roberts – was set up on February 21 and had 14 days to investigate the matter.
