Captain of sunken MV Barima allegedly smoked marijuana; vessel had more than registered passengers- govt

Last Updated on Sunday, 19 July 2026, 22:52 by Denis Chabrol

The captain of the sunken MV Barima ferry was allegedly under the influence of marijuana while he was in command of the vessel, and evidence has since surfaced that more than  116 passengers were aboard because many others were not recorded on the manifest, officials said Sunday night.

Authorities said the bodies of two females were recovered.

“Rescued crew members tested positive for cannabis during medical examinations conducted by healthcare personnel,” Prime Minister Mark Phillips said.  Public Works Minister Juan Edghill added that “we have a zero tolerance for members of the crew drinking or smoking while at work, and for us to have positive tests from the captain. I can understand a sailor, but not a captain. It’s a serious people’s lives are at risk, and those matters will be dealt with.” There were 17 crew members aboard the ferry that departed Port Georgetown for Port Kaituma, an inland Indigenous Indian community up the Barima River in the Essequibo Region.

The Prime Minister added that authorities discovered that a number of individuals, who were rescued, were not listed on the vessel’s official manifest, something that Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said now complicates the search and rescue operation. He appealed to people to cooperate with authorities in narrowing down the identities of those who were aboard the vessel.  “Since we have this compromised position of the manifest not being a true reflection of the occupants on board, we are kindly asking members of the public, family members, who, you are aware had relatives or persons who would have journeyed, please engage us so we’ll be able to have a good grasp of who we are looking for, so we’ll be able to know how we are managing this situation,” he said. Though no specific figure could have been provided, it is clear that more than 66 persons could not be accounted for up to sunset Sunday.

Currently, commuters are merely required to provide a name, not necessarily their real name, while purchasing the tickets by MMG or on the Transport and Harbours Department’s (T&HD) Online booking system. Chairman of Transport and Harbours Board of Directors, Rosalinda Rasul said plans are in train for commuters to register with their e-ID or national ID card or driver’s licence.

The Public Works Minister indicated that a number of senior T&HD officials could be sent on leave to make way for a wide-ranging investigation by police, Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, and the Maritime Administration into all of the issues connected to the tragedy.

Authorities said ExxonMobil was providing vessels and divers , and the Caribbean Regional Security System was providing an aircraft to scan the area of interest.