Two weeks later: No sight of missing fishermen or boat

After searching for about two weeks now, local authorities have been unable to locate the bodies of three fishermen who were travelling on a fishing vessel that sank offshore Guyana, near the Mahaica River.

The vessel – WorldFriend 307 – has not been located either, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar told the News Room on Monday.

“The search is still continuing,” Minister Indar, however, emphasised.

On February 19, three fishermen – Captain Harold Anthony Damon and his crew members Ronald Burton and Winston Sam – went been missing in the vicinity of the Mahaica River after the Noble House Seafoods vessel capsized.

So far, only the boat’s fishing net has been located.

Another fisherman, Vincent Dazzell, was part of the crew but he was rescued after the boat capsized. It was Dazzell who told family members and authorities about the mishap.

But there are growing concerns about what really transpired offshore Guyana with new information emerging that the boat’s captain had a fake licence. Earlier, government officials lamented that the company did not report that the vessel was in distress and as such, assistance was not immediately mobilised.

Indar could not state whether the authorities have any doubts about the information related by Dazzell, stating instead a multi-agency Board of Inquiry has been set up to investigate the matter.

That Board was constituted on February 21 and it was expected to report on its investigations in about two weeks’ time.