With four days almost elapsed since the tragic sinking of the MV Barima on Saturday night, 22-year-old Antoine Harcourt of Lichfield Village, West Coast Berbice, remains missing. Harcourt, who was serving as a crew member aboard the vessel, is among those still unaccounted for, leaving his family clinging to hope and praying for a miracle.
His mother, Allison Harcourt, says she refuses to give up faith, believing that her son is still alive despite the uncertainty surrounding the maritime disaster.
Speaking with Ignite News, Allison recalled that the last time she saw Antoine was on Thursday when he visited the family before returning to the coast. She said that on Saturday afternoon, shortly before the vessel departed from Port Kaituma, he sent her a message informing her that he was leaving.
“I didn’t see the message until about an hour and a half later. When I saw it, I replied, ‘Son, safe journey.’ I never checked to see if he had read my message,” Allison told this publication.
The following morning, Allison awoke and checked her phone, only to be confronted with devastating news.
“The first thing I saw was that the boat had sunk. I saw it on Gordon Moseley News. I started reading and then I dropped the phone because I knew he had told me he was leaving,” she said.
Within minutes, relatives and friends began calling to ask whether Antoine had been aboard the vessel.
“I started calling around and asking, and I said yes, he was on the boat because he told me he was leaving. We waited all day for information, but we couldn’t get any. Even now, four days later, we still don’t know exactly what’s going on. We are just waiting for information,” she recalled.
Antoine had been working as a crew member in the maritime sector for more than two years. According to his mother, he had previously served aboard another vessel before joining the MV Barima just a few months ago.
Describing her son, Allison said he has always been loving, cheerful and full of life.
“My son was a loving child, always jovial. We share a very, very close relationship. He would always come and do something just to make you laugh,” she said.
Despite the uncertainty and emotional toll, she remains steadfast in her belief that her son will be found alive.
“I’m hoping for the best and I’m keeping the faith that everything is okay with him and he’s alive. I’m trusting God for that,” Allison said.
She admitted that hearing the news initially left her overwhelmed, but said her faith has given her strength.
“At first, I felt numb, but I know there’s a God, and He’s a miracle-working God. I know that I serve a true and living God, and I still believe there’s hope that he’s alive. I’m trusting God for that. I’m not giving up my faith. I’m keeping the faith that he’s okay,” she added.
Allison, like many other relatives of those still unaccounted for, continues to pray that Antoine will be found alive and safely reunited with his family.
