Coast Guard ranks on Sunday investigated a report of piracy which occurred off the Essequibo Coast in the Pomeroon and, in the process, discovered a second vessel which had reportedly suffered the same fate.
According to the Guyana Defence Force, the five-man crew of the fishing vessel “Tony” was the first to report being attacked by pirates and filed their report at the Coast Guard Floating Base, at the mouth of the Pomeroon River.
“Immediately, and in keeping with GDF’s Standard Operating Procedures, the Coast Guard ranks at the Floating Base launched a patrol between the mouth of the Pomeroon River and Morawhanna,” GDF said.
It was noted that the patrol encountered another five fishermen in an unnamed vessel who also reported having been attacked by pirates.
According to the GDF, their boat was taken along with the engines for the vessel in which they were found tied up, and they were left adrift at sea.
The Coast Guard hailed a fishing trawler and instructed that the men be taken to Charity, where they subsequently made a report to the police.
Both fishing crews reported that they came under gunfire while the perpetrators made good their escape.
The matters are being investigated further by the Coast Guard and the Police.
