MV Barima CoI: “Fourth raft had 11 survivors” – fisherman recounts dramatic rescue

After several days away from the witness stand, the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the MV Barima tragedy resumed proceedings on Tuesday, returning its focus to the circumstances surrounding the incident and the measures needed to strengthen maritime safety.

After searching three empty rafts in the waters off the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) fisherman Haresh Singh and his crew finally located 11 survivors from the sunken MV Barima in a fourth raft, bringing them safely ashore in the early morning of July 19.

Haresh Singh, a fisherman with about 40 years of experience, recounted his involvement in the search-and-rescue operation following the MV Barima incident.

The 51-year-old, who owns two fishing boats, said he received a call from Region Two Regional Chairman Devin Mohan on the night of July 18, requesting his assistance in rescuing passengers aboard the vessel. Singh is a well-known fisherman throughout the region, with extensive familiarity with the waters around Hampton Court, where he frequently operates. His years of fishing in the area have given him an intimate knowledge of its waterways, making him a valuable resource in the search-and-rescue effort.

“We put 11 people in the boat when we were driving, at one point, you had a female, a lady, who told me when I picked them up that she had just managed to stretch her hand and barely touch her kids. I think it was two kids, she said. And right away, [when she relayed that situation it was so emotional], as she was barely touching them.” Singh recalled that he had just closed his restaurant and bar for the night, taken a bath and gone to bed when his phone rang shortly after 11:00h. Upon checking, he saw that the call was from Regional Chairman, Devin Mohan.

He said Mohan informed him that they needed to mobilise urgently, prompting him to immediately contact his brother, who lives next door. Within five to 10 minutes, the two arrived at the koker, where they observed that the vessel was already submerged.

Singh further explained that he contacted another fisherman known to him as “Spanish”, informing him that they needed to rescue passengers from the water. Believing that more than 100 people were involved, he decided to mobilise three large boats to assist in bringing survivors ashore. He said the boats were already equipped with fuel and were stationed at Hampton Court, allowing them to respond quickly. As the crew worked to get the boats ready and activate the pumps to clear the water, they immediately set out to assist in the rescue operation.

Singh explained that they had to use pumps to remove water from the boats, as their large size made it difficult to navigate through the shallow channel while carrying excess water. He estimated that the vessels were between 40 and 50 feet long. According to him, upon arriving at the scene, they initially found a series of empty rafts before eventually locating the 11 missing persons at about 03:00h.

“So, when we reached there, we saw the two flares being fired so I told my brother, I said we had to drive harder because it was that area, so we drove further. When we got there, we checked the first raft, but it was empty. The second raft was empty. The third raft was empty. The fourth raft, we got 11 people inside, and we rescued them.”

He added, “We pulled up alongside the raft. And I held on to it with one hand and helped put some of them in the boat. And some of them came in and helped. [On my boat] It was me, my brother, and my sister-in-law, who went with us and two police officers.”

He also recalled that one of the survivors had sustained injuries, including bruises to the body. However, his boat was equipped with first-aid kits, and he ensured that the injured individual received treatment before transporting the survivors back to shore. He then returned to the site the following morning to conduct a second search of the sinking area. The passenger and cargo ferry had left the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) Kingston Goods Wharf in Georgetown at about 15:15h for its scheduled journey to Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini).

At about 23:01h, it transmitted a distress signal after encountering difficulties near the mouth of the Pomeroon River. There were 179 people aboard, including 18 crew members.

The disaster claimed 73 lives, while 76 persons survived. Approximately 30 others remain unaccounted for.

Three T&HD employees have since been charged with murder over the tragedy and were remanded to prison. The matter is being heard before Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir at the Charity Magistrate’s Court. The criminal case is proceeding alongside a separate Government-appointed five-member COI into the tragedy. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has maintained that the two processes can run concurrently because they serve different legal purposes.

The COI is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the sinking, including regulatory oversight and the emergency response, and recommend measures to prevent a similar disaster.