Rescued MV Barima ferry occupants weren’t wearing lifejackets

Last Updated on Monday, 19 October 2026, 17:57 by Writer

At least 31 occupants of the sunken MV Barima ferry, who were rescued from the Atlantic sea, were not wearing life jackets, a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) coast guardsman told the presidential Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the incident.

Petty officer Jerome Agard, who led other coast guard personnel from the GDF Coast Guard headquarters, Ruimveldt at 11:45 p.m. on July 18 on a search and rescue mission, said when they arrived after 3 a.m. on July 19, three persons were seen holding on to aisle buckets with three life jackets in the middle.

“They were holding onto it to stay afloat,” he said Monday.

He said apart from the reflectors on the life jackets, no other light was seen.

Asked by the commission if he observed seeing anyone wearing life jackets, he said “negative, Sir.”

Mr Agard said he continued the process of throwing life rings to persons in the water and they were assisted into the Metal Shark vessel which is fitted with three 350 horsepower engines.

The petty officer also said a number of vacant life rafts, with cargo next to them, were also seen floating but no life rings were seen in the area.

He said there was no log of the names or number of persons or the coordinates of the locations from where persons were rescued.

Meanwhile, air corps pilot Major Lloyden Layne said, in response to a request, he flew a Britten-Norman Islander to the area of the coordinates that were provided and spotted a constant red light while at an altitude of 500 feet.

He recalled circling the area for about 20 to 25 minutes and could only see the red light but did not know what it was.