One dead, eight missing after boats collide in Mazaruni River

Jan 23, 2013 News

Coast Guard ranks have recovered the body of one man and are searching for eight more people, who are feared dead, following a two-boat collision in the Mazaruni River at around 12:30 hrs yesterday.
The accident, which took place in the vicinity of Crab Falls, 25 miles upstream from Bartica, has also left several persons nursing injuries at the Bartica Hospital, a report from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
Kaieteur News understands that the body of a man identified as Jermaine Calistro, 24, (reportedly of Parika, Essequibo, and Lethem) was found trapped in the stern of one of the vessels at around 18:30 hrs. The vessel was reportedly piloted by a Captain Thomas, who is one of the survivors. Kaieteur News understands that a sailor from Thomas’ boat and a Brazilian woman are also among the survivors.
While details about the tragedy are sketchy, Kaieteur News was told that the vessels collided at what one source described as a ‘blind turn’ near Crab Falls.
Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, the Maritime Administration Department officials (MARAD), and other Government officials travelled to the location late yesterday to assess the situation.
Minister Benn told GINA that two boats, one carrying 12 persons and the other carrying nine, collided at around 12:30 hrs.
Only five persons, three men and two women, were immediately accounted for and they were treated at the Bartica Hospital for minor injuries and sent away.
Police in a press statement late yesterday evening said that “Investigations are being conducted into a river mishap that occurred at about 12:30 hours yesterday in the Mazaruni River where two boats are reported to have collided. One boat had 12 persons and the other nine. A number of persons are unaccounted for.”
And the Guyana Defence Force in another statement said that upon the request of the Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, it has deployed Coast Guard and Infantry troops “to aid in the search for nine persons, who are reportedly missing, after being involved in a boating accident which occurred today (yesterday) in the Mazaruni. Meanwhile, personnel of the GDF Air Corps are on standby and will be incorporated as is necessary.”
A source in the area told this newspaper last night that the boat with the 12 passengers which was on its way out from the interior, was fitted with two 75 horsepower engines, while the other boat, which was taking in cargo and nine persons, was powered by a 200HP outboard engine.
The source said that the boat with the 200HP engine and captained by a man called ‘Dube’ slammed into the other boat, splitting it in two.
This is the second river tragedy that has resulted in the loss of multiple lives in a little over a month.
On December 18, last, six people including three children perished in the Pomeroon River under similar circumstances.
On that fateful night, a speedboat owned by the Region Two administration struck the small vessel in which the victims were travelling.
Eyewitnesses said that the Region Two vessel, which was occupied by several regional officials, was heading out of Siriki, in the Upper Pomeroon, when it “rode over” a smaller boat, which then crashed into a large mangrove swamp.
Those who perished were boat captain Harinarine Bhagwandin, 42; Velda Rodrigues, 50; Shawn Anthony, 14; Rajkumar Singh, 14 and his sister Amerieta Singh, 10; and Vincent Singh, 42.

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One dead, eight missing after boats collide in Mazaruni River

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