‘I just want to know what happened’ – mother of 22-Y-O found dead after barge sinks

The mother of the 22-year-old man whose body was recovered after a barge sunk off the coast of Guyana whilst transporting molasses is calling on authorities to provide answers on what went wrong at sea.

The body of Ravindra Bissoondyal was on Wednesday discovered floating near a buoy in the Demerara River, bringing a tragic end to days of uncertainty for his family.

Bissoondyal was among two men who went missing after the molasses barge Trader III sank on Monday whilst travelling from Berbice to Georgetown.

His mother, Mohani Persaud, said the last time she saw her son was when he stopped by their home to collect his life jacket before leaving for work.

“He left home on Saturday. He came here to collect his life jacket. That’s the last time I see him,” the grieving mother said during an interview.

According to Persaud, the young man later contacted her after the vessel had begun taking in water. During the frantic call, he told her the barge was sinking and that attempts to reach the crew on the tug were going unanswered.

“He said the barge is sinking. Them boys on the tug and nobody answering… nobody answering.”

Persaud said the conversation left her deeply worried as her son tried to hold on while the vessel was going down.

“The last conversation we had, he said, ‘the water reach to my foot already. I’ve got to go,’” she said.

Family members continued trying to reach him after the call ended, but their efforts proved futile.

Later, they received word that a body had been found floating in the Demerara River and that relatives were required to visit the Marine Outpost to assist with identification.

Persaud said when the body was brought in, she immediately recognised her son.

The distraught mother is now calling for answers into the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.

“I would just like to get a little bit of justice for my son. I just wanted to know what happened,” she added.

Bissoondyal had reportedly worked in the maritime field for several years. His mother said he initially started as a cook on vessels before eventually working his way up to become an engineer.

Meanwhile, search efforts are continuing for the second crew member who went missing – 52-year-old Gregory Singh.