Family to determine whether Govt salvages sunken MV Barima or preserve it as memorial site

With approximately 30 people still unaccounted for, the government must now decide whether to salvage the sunken MV Barima or preserve the site as a memorial.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips said the decision will be guided by the wishes of survivors and the families of those affected by the July 18 tragedy.

Speaking at a news conference today, he explained that the government will consult with those impacted before determining the vessel’s future, noting that President Dr Irfaan Ali remains in communication with families of the deceased as well as survivors.

The Prime Minister said while there are several offers to assist in the salvaging of the vessel, “whether we salvage the vessel or go with the construction of a memorial site, it has to be done in keeping with the wishes of the family.”

The ferry is lying on its side on the seabed about nine miles off the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). The vessel was located by local fishermen and later confirmed by authorities two days after capsizing.

Since last week, the technical teams, both local and foreign, have been trying to reposition the vessel. The aim was to get the ferry into a floating position in order to bring it closer to shore so that the divers can safely get inside with the hopes of recovering those missing persons.

This publication understands that divers managed to successfully attach cables and ropes to the sunken ferry on Wednesday. However, those closely involved in the recovery operation explained that when they tried to pull the vessel, the cables and ropes kept bursting.

To date, the rescue count remains at 76 while 73 bodies have been recovered and some 30 persons remain unaccounted for. Of the bodies recovered, five remain unidentified.