Speedboat passengers escape death in Essequibo River mishap

Jul 25, 2011 News

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– captain, bowman detained

By Kristen Macklingam

Several passengers narrowly escaped death yesterday afternoon, when a speedboat that was taking them from Supenaam to Parika sank in the Essequibo River.
Passengers said that the vessel sank in rough waters after suddenly springing a leak.
Fortunately, the passengers, including women and small children, were wearing lifejackets, and were rescued some 30 minutes after by another vessel. However, many of them lost their baggage, cash and other valuables.
The owner of the boat, who identified himself as Fezal Gafoor, denied that the vessel had any defects.
He said that his captain and bowman have been detained.
Kaieteur News was told that the speedboat left the Supenaam Stelling and was heading to Parika, East Bank Essequibo shortly after 15:00 hrs, when some passengers noticed that water had started to seep into the boat.
Chandrika Persaud, of  Enterprise Village, East Coast Demerara (ECD), said that he notified the captain when he spotted water filling the boat.
“I tell the Captain how water coming in. He didn’t do nothing. Around Leguan side it get worse and I tell he again. He tell me that I must use the tarpaulin to block the hole. I say it won’t stop it but I still do it. After it get worse and worse he take a jacket and give me to mash down over the area but it ain’t help. The boat then start sink. Everybody end up in the water while the whole boat go down”
According to the devastated man, he tried to assist in calming the women and other passengers who started to become frantic.
A number of passengers tried to “sling on something” to ensure they did not drown while some ended up floating some distance away from the others. If they were not wearing their life-jackets they would have surely drowned.
Almost one hour later another speedboat arrived at the location to render assistance and take the passengers to safety.
“While it (the speedboat) was going down people start telephone for help. I think the captain call in to tell the speedboat people that we were drowning”, said Persaud.
Kaieteur News understands that there were 18 passengers on board, including two small children.
Some of the passengers lost all their possessions, including cellular phones, travelling bags, suitcases, hand-bags, music players, clothing, and jewellery.
Persaud stated that he was visiting Essequibo for a function and was returning home with his suitcase. It contained expensive clothing, electronics and a lot of jewellery.
After arrival at the Parika Stelling, EBE, Persaud claims that he lodged a complaint to the head of speedboat operations.
“I made my report to the Chairman or President of speedboat operations there, Mr. Curtis, about what happen and what I loss. When the owner of the boat come, Mr. Gafoor, he had no time for nothing. All he concern with was his boat. I go to Parika Station to report the matter and them telling me how I got to go Wakenaam. How on earth I must go there when I just loss my stuff and not one cent in my wet pocket? They ain’t take no report. Is that how police suppose to treat things like this?”
Kaieteur News further understands that the Vice-Chairman of Region One was also aboard the speedboat which sunk. He is scheduled to attend a Toshao’ meeting today.
Persaud stated that the speedboat was not seaworthy.
“Nobody checking on these boats. That boat, Mr. Gafoor boat was rotten. Is not no water waves make it upturn or nothing. It was rotten”
Another passenger told Kaieteur News that the vessel began taking in water when it was about ten minutes from Parika.
He said that at first, just a little water was seeping into the boat, but then the hole in the vessel became larger as they continued their journey in rough waters.
The passenger said that the captain and the bowman
tried in vain to plug the hole with bits of tarpaulin.
Eventually, the captain stopped the boat, and, almost immediately, the vessel became filled with water and overturned.
“There were women and children in the boat. They were hollering,” he recalled. He estimated that the youngest child was about two years old. The passenger said that he grabbed one of the children,
He said that fortunately, they were all wearing life jackets. Eventually, after about 30 to 40 minutes, the crew managed to summon help and another speedboat crew rescued them.
The passenger said that he was among the fortunate who did not lose his baggage.
“We are fortunate that no one drowned.
In his opinion, the crew was ill-prepared for the emergency. He surmised that the boat had sprung a leak after hitting some object in the water.
The boat owner, Fezal Gafoor, said that he had bought the vessel about a year ago, and had used it as recently as last Wednesday.

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