Cargo ship runs aground off Clonbrook, six rescued from life-raft

Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 12:47 by Written By Denis Chabrol

A cargo vessel, MV Lady Sandra, ran aground off Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara and six persons have since been rescued by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) said Wednesday.

“MARAD has ordered the owners to have the vessel secured and towed away as soon as possible. Our investigation is ongoing,” that agency said in a statement.

That regulatory agency said an investigation revealed that the MV Lady Sandra departed Georgetown on Saturday, November 7 with a consignment of cement enroute for New Amsterdam, Berbice when one of its engines failed.

“According to our investigation, thus far, during the voyage, there was a main engine failure, thus the Master anchored the vessel at approximately 19:45 hours on the said day. Shortly thereafter, he contacted the vessel manager, who initially arranged tug assistance, however during such time, the vessel dragged its anchor and ended up aground at approximately 01:00 hrs on Sunday, November 8, 2026,” MARAD said in a statement.

MARAD added that at approximately 05:34 hours, as the vessel was observed to be taking in water, the crew abandoned it and went into a life-raft. “They were all subsequently rescued by the Coast Guard and taken to the Boathouse where they were examined by a medical team and subsequently released,” the regulatory agency said.