The MV Barima tragedy has demonstrated the value of modern maritime safety equipment, with an integrated system of emergency beacons, life rafts, distress flares, search aircraft and rescue boats helping save many lives, Captain Gerry Gouveia Snr said.
Gouveia said the coordinated actions of emergency responders, combined with the professionalism and courage of uniformed personnel and civilian responders, were critical to the rescue effort.
He said the vessel was equipped with an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) located on the captain’s deck, which automatically activated when the vessel capsized, transmitting a distress signal and the vessel’s position to satellites.
The alert was relayed to rescue coordination authorities through the Timehri Air Traffic Control system.
The vessel also carried enclosed inflatable life rafts equipped with food, water, medical supplies, distress flares and an emergency locator beacon (ELT), Gouveia said. These automatically deployed and inflated as the vessel capsized, delivering survival equipment to those in the water.
Guided by the EPIRB’s coordinates, the first search aircraft flew directly to the distress area, where pilots picked up the emergency locator beacon transmitting on the international emergency frequency, 121.5 MHz, confirming they had reached the site.
Pilots then observed a distress flare fired by survivors from one of the life rafts. The flare’s position was relayed to the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, which directed rescue boats to the location, where survivors were recovered from the water and the life rafts.
Gouveia, who is also a national security advisor, extended condolences to families who lost loved ones in the tragedy and offered prayers for survivors and those involved in the recovery effort.
He thanked the pilots, air traffic controllers, rescue swimmers, sailors, soldiers, police officers, volunteers and civilian responders who took part in the operation, saying their courage and service would not be forgotten.
