Press Release from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD)
ABANDONED BOAT OFFSHORE GUYANA
The boat with the seemingly lifeless persons on board, has not been seen since the evening of Monday 15th February 2021.
As stated in the initial press release, vessels from the private sector were mobilized to assist the local authorities, to locate, then to and tow the boat into port.
One vessel that was operating offshore was directed to the area of the boat’s estimated position on Monday night. It spent several hours on Tuesday searching the probable area of the boat’s tract, but the effort was futile. This vessel has since returned to Port Georgetown, but its owner has several other vessels operating in the general area, and they have been advised to lookout for the abandoned boat.
Two (2) fast boats with two (2) – 200 HP engines each, left Morawhanna yesterday morning with a team that included members of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force. They executed search patterns offshore and inshore, that encompassed the area from the Western Boundary of Guyana’s maritime border all the way to Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.
The Guyana Defence Force has so far executed three (3) reconnaissance flights over the initial probable area and also the expanded search area. They also did not report any sighting of the boat.
Another search vessel that has on board an officer and ranks from the GDF Coast Guard are still at sea searching for the boat. They also haven’t reported any sighting of the abandoned boat.
The Maritime Administration Department has published a Navigational Warning via the US NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (NGA) informing all vessel in the general area to be on the lookout for a vessel adrift and to report any sighting.
The Maritime Administration Department has also sent emails to several equivalent organisations seeking their assistance in identifying the boat and the remains of those on board. It has also informed the Administration in Trinidad and Tobago to notify vessels about the boat, since the direction of the ocean current can possibly take it to this country.
