Search team finds fishing gear of sunken trawler

Last Updated on Monday, 21 February 2022, 21:32 by Denis Chabrol

A search, rescue and recovery team on Monday spotted the net of the trawler that capsized in the Atlantic sea early Sunday morning, resulting in the disappearance of three fishermen, Public Works Minister II Deodat Indar said.

“They saw the net floating in the general area where the trawler sank,” he told News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 FM/ Demerara Waves Online News.

He said the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard members were unable to dive on Monday to reach the trawler, “Worldfriend 307” owned by Noble House Seafoods.

Those missing and feared dead are the vessel’s Captain, Harold Anthony Damon, 45; Ronald Burton, 78; and 46-year old Winston Sam. Winston Dazzell, who escaped in a lifeboat, said he was rescued by fishermen and taken ashore after which he reported the incident to police and Noble House Seafoods.

Ahead of planned 14-day probe by an inter-agency Board of Inquiry, the Director-General of the Maritime Administration (MARAD), Captain Stephen Thomas said emergency responders were unable to reach the distressed vessel because the company did not relay there was a problem to MARAD, the Boathouse or the Lighthouse after receiving information.

Further, Mr. Thomas said the captain did not communicate any difficulty on the emergency radio communication channel to other vessels so that they could have responded.  Through Public Works Minister II, Deodat Indar, Mr. Thomas said he received information  about the trawler at about 6:45 PM Saturday but officials were informed that Noble House Seafoods received information about 5:30 AM Saturday. Mr. Indar said “we have to find out here why the information was not passed to the regulator or any other government agency that deals with these kinds of matters.”