Essequibo boat tragedy... Captains were using cellphone lights at time of crash

Essequibo boat tragedy… Captains were using cellphone lights at time of crash

Sep 25, 2019 News

–victim identified as Suriname-based Guyanese
–search continues for missing passengers

Police sources have confirmed that the captains of both vessels involved in the deadly collision in the Essequibo River were using the lights from their cellular phones to help them navigate the dark waters at the time of the accident.

Dead: Sherry Khan

The accident which occurred around 18:00 hours on Monday has left at least one person confirmed dead. The female victim has been identified as Suriname–based Guyanese businesswoman Sherry Khan, a mother of four.
Khan, died tragically after two boats collided at Chalmers’ crossing located at the western tip of Hog Island, in the Essequibo River.
The 54-year-old woman was among eight passengers aboard an M&Y Express vessel headed in the direction of Buck Hall when it collided with a Venezuela-registered fibreglass boat which was proceeding in the opposite direction.
Reports indicate the Venezuelan vessel was under repairs and on a test run when it smashed into the passenger vessel. Police and maritime sources later confirmed that the captains of both vessels were navigating the dark waters without the use of proper lights.
The authorities confirmed too that five persons were injured and taken the Leonora Cottage and West Demerara Regional Hospitals.
At least two were moved to private city hospitals where they remain hospitalised.
The survivors were identified as Devindra Singh called Crank, 43, the captain of the passenger vessel, of Greenwich Park, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), Milton Duke, 43, a businessman and his wife Yalutine Homankirk, Jaeva Viera Nun, a Brazilian National and Raymond Charles.
Jose Francisco Joaquin, a male Brazilian, and Anthony Roberts, 25, an auto electrician of Philadelphia, EBE, remain missing.
At least one survivor (Charles) was able to recount the incident.
He said that the passenger boat overturned several miles away from their destination.
According to him, the other vessel appeared out of nowhere and slammed the passenger boat which capsized with the travellers and their goods.
“The thing happen so fast because we barely see the white boat and next thing we know everybody overboard.”
Charles said that he tried his best to save the others, especially Khan, whom he knew by only her first name “Sherry.”
“She start panic after the boat go down and hold on me cause like she get cut bad with the propeller or something. So when the boat that hit we turn back to help we, I help put she on the boat.”
He recalled the other passengers were also injured.
After they were brought to shore, Charles said he was surprised to find out that Khan had succumbed to her injuries.
“All the time she keep telling me she get cut, shine the light let she see, but I didn’t want she panic more.”
Charles said that he knew Khan visited Buck Hall because she has a shop at the location.
Khan’s close friends described her as a devoted and hardworking mother.
They noted that when she left her home in Paramaribo, Suriname, to ply her trade at Buck Hall in the Essequibo River, last Monday, they never thought that was the last time, they would see her alive.
“She was a businesswoman who travelled between countries to provide for her family. This is all very shocking for us,” a close friend of the deceased told Kaieteur News.
Meanwhile, Maritime Director Captain John Flores confirmed that a party of policeman and coast guard ranks has been scouring the area for the missing passengers.
Flores told Kaieteur News that the investigations revealed the crash happened after the prescribed time for vessels to make their river journey via the waterway.
According to Flores, the fibreglass boat was driven by captain Latchman Sankar, a mechanic was also on board.
“The place was dark, so they could not have seen each other in time, so the fibreglass boat ran over the passenger vessel and overturned it.”
Flores said the Venezuelan vessel turned back to save the passengers.
He revealed that the Venezeulan vessel, however, also experienced trouble and its occupants had to call for help to transport the injured persons to shore.
“At present, that vessel also sunk. The captains are with the police assisting with investigations,” Flores added.

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