The Ministry of Public Works on Thursday confirmed that Guyanese authorities have suspended efforts to locate a boat that was sighted drifting in Guyana’s waters what several decomposing bodies.
“The search has been suspended as of today,” Public Relations Officer, Krest Cummings told the media.
The boat, which was last sighted on Monday, has disappeared but Guyana has informed Trinidad and Tobago, asking that they be on the lookout since it may have drifted into their waters.
On Wednesday, Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) published a Navigational Warning via the US NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (NGA) informing all vessel in the general area to be on the lookout for a vessel adrift and to report any sighting.
MARAD has also sent emails to several equivalent organisations seeking their assistance in identifying the boat and the remains of those on board.
On Tuesday, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill told the media at an emergency press conference that “unfortunately and distressingly so” those persons who have been in pursuit of the boat have lost sight of the boat.
He said the boat was last seen around 19:55h some 83 nautical miles from Guyana’s shore on Monday night but after several hours of aerial and water patrol on Tuesday, authorities came up empty-handed.
Reports of the first sighting of the boat were made around 14:00h on Monday by a private operator drifting some 112 nautical miles from the Georgetown coast.
Two fast boats with two – 200 HP engines each, left Morawhanna with a team that included members of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force. They executed search patterns offshore and inshore, that encompassed the area from the Western Boundary of Guyana’s maritime border all the way to Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.
The Guyana Defence Force has so far executed three reconnaissance flights over the initial probable area and also the expanded search area. They also did not report any sighting of the boat.
