Piracy has plagued the high seas for a number of years with many seamen meeting a callous end as several of them have lost their lives, miles off the coastland.
The latest attack by pirates was recorded at the mouth of the Waini River, some 10 miles off the Essequibo Coast into the Atlantic.
On Wednesday, three of the terrorised West Coast Demerara fishermen, lucky to be alive, recalled their harrowing ordeal.
Boat Captain, Muneshwar Bissoon, and some of his crew members returned to their families late Tuesday evening but they are all shaken up by the horror, nearly two weeks after losing millions of dollars at the hands of pirates.
The fishermen gathered at the home of boat owner, “Sharma” at Hague, West Coast Demerara. Captain Bissoon stressed that fishermen should be better protected while plying their trade.
They called for more Coast Guard protection on the Atlantic Coast.
“The Coast guard only running up to Waini head. They need to come out and go to the deep sea itself. That’s what the [pirates] know because the coast guard only going up to a point; they have to a get boat which could go in the roughness of the water,” the Captain stressed.
Their ordeal all started when a white fibre glass boat pulled up alongside theirs which had what was described as a “big sounding” engine.
Four pirates then boarded their vessel and assaulted the Captain and his crew.
The captain was dealt a chop to the head and lip while crew members Nazeer Mohamed and Satesh Bisson were hit to their backs and elsewhere.
The finger of another crew member was severed. He was airlifted to Georgetown after spending several days at an interior hospital.
They were all forced to lie face down throughout the entire ordeal.
The seamen related that they are fearful of returning to sea.
“The thing got you trembly like, because them man broadside up we,” Nazeer indicated.
Meanwhile, a visibly distressed Satesh told this publication that he was left to ponder what would become of his family if anything serious was to happen to him.
“This gan bruk fishermen mind from going at sea again,” the father of four stated.
Captain Bissoon expressed that the elder of his two sons encouraged him to lessen his trips to sea.
“Me frighten to go back on sea although is so many years I work deh but that is the only trade I know,” expressed the Captain who has worked as a fisherman for over 20 years.
The pirates who attacked on May 21 spoke in English and Spanish and Police have recently taken statements from the injured men who were robbed of two Yamaha engines, four 12-volt batteries, two mobile phones, three drums of fuel, some fish material and food supplies among other items.
They wandered at sea for several days before they were rescued by another vessel.
A recent violent attack in the Corentyne River left a boat captain dead. Several suspects were charged for that crime. (Shemuel Fanfair)
