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MARAD joins investigation into missing seaman incident
Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the marine safety regulation body, has joined investigations into the incident which left seaman, Navishwar Karamdatt, missing.
Karamdatt, called “Sharma”, a 33-year-old seaman attached to Pritipaul Singh Investment Inc., was working on one of their vessels named MV Snook 1, when he fell overboard and was swept from the vessel in turbulent water on Wednesday last.
At the time, the now missing seaman was not wearing a life jacket. The incident raised concerns over safety of the Captain and crew. In an invited comment on the matter, Director of Maritime Safety, Captain John Flores disclosed that MARAD has launched an investigation into the incident.
Captain Flores noted that the probe surrounds whether safety gear was available to the sailors at the time of the accident.
Flores said too, that the Department will be checking on whether the captain and his crew are adequately certified and whether the recommended Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) for such situations were complied with.
The Safety Director disclosed that the Department has been in contact with Pritipaul Singh Investment Inc.
“So far our research points to the vessel being equipped with the necessary safety gear,” Captain Flores added.
In the meantime, the search continues for the missing seaman. Officials attached to Pritipaul Singh Investment have since confirmed that at the time of the incident, the vessel was equipped the necessary safety gear.
Director of Maritime Safety, Captain John Flores
“We have life jackets, life rafts, and fire extinguishers available to the crew of each of the vessels. The vessels are also equipped with surveillance cameras for security purposes. From our internal investigations, we know that one of the other crew men had attempted to rescue him; he jumped in after he went overboard.”
The officials said they are unable to give any details about the incident, except for the fact that the company has been in contact with the authorities and family members of the missing man.
Last week in CCTV footage of the incident, which was viewed by Kaieteur News, two seamen, one being “Sharma”, could be seen in the process of setting baskets into the sea from the deck of the MV Snook 1.
The sea at the time was fairly turbulent and caused the trawler to roll from side to side in a violent manner. The basket that “Sharma” was holding onto at the time hit him down, causing him to slide from where he was at one side on the deck to the other side and then overboard.
His partner, after realizing what had happened, could be seen running to raise an alarm, while “Sharma” could still be seen in the water. All of this occurred some 100 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.
The captain of the vessel in a statement to police said he was piloting the vessel when he heard shouts of “Man overboard, man overboard”.
He said that when he focused he saw “Sharma” somewhere off in the distance.
He claimed he immediately turned around the vessel but he was unable to get to “Sharma” in time and despite efforts by other members of the crew, “Sharma” went under the water and did not emerge again.
The captain claimed he called his boss, and was told to return with the vessel to the wharf. The other crew members who include a brother-in-law of “Sharma”, all gave similar accounts of what transpired.
The MV Snook 1 had left the Houston wharf on December 3 for a three-week trip with its crew, which consisted of its captain, 24-year-old Chrishnadat Sukhdeo, called “Panther” and four crew members– 23-year-old Jonathan DeFreitas, of Lot 1517 Section B, Block X, Great Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD; 17-year-old Vidprikash Sukhdeo of Lot 1123 17th Street, Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD; 34-year-old Pritviraj Seewnarine of Lot 1113 16th Street, Section C, Block X, Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD and “Sharma” who resides at Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD.
The MV Snook 1 is presently docked at Pritipaul Wharf at Houston, as police continue their investigations
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