A five-member crew on a small cargo ship was recently rescued by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard after their vessel started sinking in the Atlantic Ocean.
The incident occurred approximately 5.2 nautical miles off Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara on Thursday, according to the GDF in a statement today.
According to the army, the Coast Guard executed a successful rescue operation at about 06:30 hours on Thursday, saving five individuals from the cargo vessel – AMAYA.
The vessel, laden with a cargo of cement and stone, encountered distress when it began taking in water around 04:00h that morning.
Based on GDF reports, the incident occurred after the vessel had been grounded on a sandbank from approximately 22:30h the previous evening.
While awaiting high tide to facilitate departure from the sandbank, rough water conditions caused the vessel to start taking water onboard, prompting the crew to seek assistance.
The Coast Guard responded and upon arrival, it was observed that the vessel was sinking.
Following the rescue operation, all 5 crew members were safely extracted and transported to Headquarters Coast Guard.
“The Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard is pleased with the success of this operation and remains poised and prepared to respond promptly to any maritime incidents or emergencies,” the statement detailed.
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