Many remain missing as the search and recovery efforts of the MV Barima tragedy continues.
Royston Frank, the father of Rawle Frank, shared deep concern and uncertainty about his son’s fate. Speaking with Guyana Standard, Royston revealed that his son remains missing.
Royston, who traveled from Berbice, has been in Region 2 for the past three days. Despite being allowed to examine over 60 bodies recovered, Royston stated that none turned out to be his son’s. His hope persists that his son might still be alive, but the lack of concrete answers has left him distraught.
Adding to his confusion, Royston shared that some sailors aboard the vessel MV Barima, who survived the tragedy, have been apprehended by police. However, he remains unsure whether his son is among those in custody or is still missing at sea.
“I plan to ask for the names of those in custody to see if my son is among them. I don’t know if he is dead or alive. My daughter called tonight for a update and she was telling me that some sailors are in police custody but my son don’t smoke but at the same time we don’t know if he is one of them ” Royston said.
Nicole Fernandes, sister of Quincy Smartt, shared an emotional update with the Guyana Standard regarding her brother following the tragedy. Fernandes revealed that her cousin and younger brother traveled to Charity and had been there for three days since the incident occurred.
Since Saturday night, Fernandes said her mother has been overwhelmed with grief, constantly crying over the situation. She explained that her brother and cousin had been visiting the area daily in hopes of finding any trace of him. However, despite their efforts, his body has not been among those recovered so far.
Fernandes said her family has not yet arrived at the conclusion that Smartt has passed away. “We can’t do nothing until we see the body,” she stated. “Then we will accept that he died. Mommy just keeps crying all the time,” Fernandes added.
The MV Barima sank last Saturday night with approximately 179 passengers aboard the vessel. A total of 72 bodies has been recovered. Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips explained that a team is on the site of the wreck attempting to reposition the boat as part of the recovery efforts. Many persons are believed to be trapped in the vessel. While some bodies are yet to be identified by relatives, some were laid to rest on Thursday in Port Kaituma, Mabaruma, and Georgetown.
