Guyanese among 30 passengers rescued after boat sinks in Corentyne River

A vessel transporting some 30 passengers, including Guyanese, as well as cargo last evening sank in the Corentyne River.

Waterkant.Net – a media house in the Dutch-speaking territory reported that approximately 30 adults and three babies were on board at the time.

The boat was on its way to Apoera from Nickerie – a town in Suriname. The incident occurred at the mouth of the Nickerie and Corentyne Rivers.

Reports are that an SOS was sent out after the boat started taking on water due to an engine failure.

Waterkant.Net reported that the report was received by the Surinamese authorities around 8:15h and the police, together with the National Army and boatswains responded.

When emergency services arrived, they managed to get all passengers safely ashore. No injuries were reported.

The vessel, called ‘Blur Boat’, carries cargo and passengers between Orealla – situated 50 miles up the Corentyne River; Siparuta; and Corriverton on the Guyana side of the river and between Nickerie and Apoera.

Orealla is located in Guyana, while Apoera is in Suriname. The distance between these two locations is approximately 150 kilometers about 93 miles.

The vessel is owned by a Surinamese couple.