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Victim of boat mishap upset about owner’s attitude

Jul 28, 2011 News

Chandrika Persaud, a passenger aboard a speedboat which sank in the Essequibo River on Sunday, last, is now calling on relevant authorities to intervene into the matter.
Kaieteur News understands that on Monday afternoon, the owner of the speedboat identified as “Fezal Gafoor” arranged to meet with Persaud at the Parika Stelling, East Bank Essequibo.
Persaud claims that Gafoor told him that he (Gafoor) was not obligated to reimburse anyone since passengers travel at their own risk.
“He said that he doesn’t have to give me back money or anything, doesn’t have to reimburse me for nothing I lose. Is this how this whole thing is run? They done suppose to have boats insured to cover them things this.”
The distraught man explained that he lost many valuables when the speedboat sank and that other passengers would be suffering also since from Gafoor’s “attitude”, he doesn’t seem to care about what happened to anyone.
“He only studying he boat”, said Persaud.
Though unhappy with the situation, Persaud did say that an official from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) contacted him some time yesterday to enquire what possessions he lost when the speedboat sank.
“The person say them from Maritime and want know what me lose and I tell them. They didn’t say what will happen or if I getting back anything but that they were instructed to get the information,” said Persaud.
On Sunday around 15:00hrs (03:00pm), shortly after leaving the Supenaam Stelling, Essequibo Coast, a speedboat filled with passengers including Persaud, sank en route to Parika, East Bank Essequibo.
Persaud had earlier said, “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.”
The passengers were eventually rescued by another boat, and no casualties were recorded.
One day later (Monday) passengers onboard another boat heading to Parika from Supenaam, had to be rescued by another vessel, some others suffered the same fate.
According to reports, some time after lunch, on Monday, passengers boarded a boat at the Parika stelling.
In the vicinity of Hogg Island and Wakenaam the boat developed mechanical problems.
As a result the boat and its passengers were left stranded in rough waters for almost an hour before they were rescued by another boat.

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