For Eve Jerome, Saturday night’s sinking of the MV Barima has turned her life upside down. While she survived the tragedy, her two children, three-year-old Alliya Gonsalves and 12-year-old Jerome Jacobs, remain unaccounted for.
Speaking from the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), Region Two, the distraught mother recounted the terrifying moments leading up to the vessel’s capsizing as it journeyed to Port Kaituma, Region One.
Jerome said she and her children were travelling to Region One to reunite with family, noting that her husband is visually impaired and that the family depends heavily on public assistance for survival.
According to her account, passengers became concerned after noticing water entering the vessel at around 9:00pm. She said that despite repeated warnings from those on board, assurances were given that the situation was under control.
As panic spread among passengers, life jackets were eventually handed out. Jerome said she had never worn one before and struggled to secure it properly, but credits the device with saving her life.
She described the desperate moments after the vessel overturned, recalling that both of her children had been by her side.
The grieving mother said her personal belongings, including important documents and her public assistance records, were lost in the accident.
“My children were everything to me. I keep praying and hoping that they can be found,” she said.
The mother remains traumatised by the tragedy and is anxiously awaiting news as search and rescue teams continue their operations following the sinking of the MV Barima on Saturday night.
