GUYANA: Special Forces platoon deployed to search “area of interest” for missing plane

Last Updated on Thursday, 8 January 2015, 0:46 by GxMedia

At least 30 members of Guyana’s Special Forces are Thursday expected to inserted into “an area of interest” as part of their more than one-week old search for a small plane that went missing over the country’s dense jungle and rugged terrain.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said the platoon of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers that travelled to Mahdia on Wednesday would be inserted by helicopters at sunrise barring no inclement weather.

A number of areas of interest have been developed by a Canadian survey plane that is here on behalf of the Canadian oil exploration company, CGX Energy. The areas of interest have been collected from data that has been collected by the plane’s Passive Radiation Detector.

The twin-engine Britten Norman Islander, bearing registration number 8R-GHE, went missing shortly before midday on December 28 while on shuttle trip with construction materials from Mahdia to Karisparu in Region 8 – Potaro—Siparuni.

Aboard were Captain Nickey Persaud, 27, and Cargo Loader, 51-year old David Bisnauth.

The GCAA added that six villagers from Chenapau village joined the search party at Mahdia.

Over the past three days, Special Forces’ ranks, Guyana Forestry Commission officers and Line cutters have been extensively combing a large area between North Fork and Black Water rivers.

If the search proves futile, additional areas will be examined, said the aviation regulatory body that is part of the Rescue Coordination Centre.