“I just pray that they find him and that he comes home safe,” said Esther Frank, mother of missing MV Barima crew member Rawle Frank, as search efforts continue in the wake of the tragedy.
The 33-year-old Frank, a Transport and Harbours Department employee with more than 10 years of service, was among the crew aboard the vessel when it went down, and his relatives remain hopeful he will be found alive.
Esther Frank, 54, said the family is devastated and continues to pray for his safe return. She recalled that after his previous trip, her son had mentioned the vessel had some issues and that he was uncertain whether he would be assigned to another vessel while repairs were carried out.
“He told me the boat had a problem and that this might be its last trip before it went in for repairs. He wasn’t sure if he would have to work on another boat,” she said.
Esther Frank also recounted the last time she saw her son before he left for work.
“He came home Thursday night and said he wanted something to eat, so I gave him food.
He left around 9 o’clock that night. On Friday he spoke with me, but I didn’t see him again. He later went to his home in Bath and then left for work on Saturday. He told me he had to sail out, and from since then I haven’t heard anything,” she said.
Fighting back tears, she said she has not given up hope that her son will be found alive.
“It’s hard for us. He has a child too, and it isn’t easy,” she said.
Frank’s relatives and friends continue to anxiously await updates from search teams as rescue efforts remain ongoing.
