None of the 26 people rescued from the water by a Guyana Coast Guard team following the sinking of the MV Barima was wearing a life jacket, the Commission of Inquiry (COI) heard.

Petty Officer Jeromy Agard of the Guyana Defence Force testified that he and five other crew members rescued the survivors between approximately 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. on July 19, hours after the vessel sank.

Agard told the Commission that his team was on weekend standby when he received a call from Coast Guard duty officer, who provided the coordinates of the incident. The team entered the coordinates into its navigation system and departed at about 11:45 p.m. to begin the search.

Upon reaching the location, the crew slowed their vessel and heard people screaming in the darkness. Agard said they directed their searchlight towards the sound to locate those in the water.

The search was made more difficult by the dark conditions and rough waters.

Agard described finding people in small groups, with some clinging to a wooden pallet while others held on to oil buckets and life jackets. He told the Commission that multiple people were holding on to a single life jacket.

“No person wore life jackets,” Agard testified.

The officer explained that his team used lifebuoys and ropes to retrieve the survivors. Crew members at the bow threw lifebuoys into the water, while ropes were used to pull people closer to the vessel. Members positioned at the stern then helped bring the survivors aboard.

Agard said his team recovered 26 people, including men, women and children. The survivors were subsequently transferred to another vessel at about 5 a.m.
Agard testified that the search did not end after the survivors were transferred. His team continued looking for people in the water and encountered empty life rafts, cargo boxes and other debris, but found no additional survivors.

The search activities continued on Monday and Tuesday, with the team sweeping areas between the wreck site and the Pomeroon area. Agard said he used his own initiative and believed currents could carry people and debris in that direction.

He also testified that he saw civilian fishing vessels operating in the same area between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. but did not communicate that observation to senior officers. He noted that he cautioned the civilian boat owners to be careful within the water to avoid hitting people if they do come across a survivor.

Agard told the Commission that his team did not maintain a log of the names or number of survivors rescued. He could not recall whether supplies aboard the vessel were sufficient for those brought out of the water, but confirmed that a first-aid kit was available and was not needed during the operation.

The Commission is examining the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the MV Barima on July 18, including the vessel’s seaworthiness and maintenance, loading and boarding procedures, crew competence, and the adequacy of search, rescue and recovery operations. It is also examining whether any failures, negligence or misconduct contributed to the incident.