The Government will honour the wishes of families affected by the MV Barima disaster in deciding whether to salvage the wreck or leave it on the seabed as a potential memorial site, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said on Tuesday.
“We’ve always said from the inception that we will respect the wishes of the family,” Phillips told a press conference, as search and recovery efforts continued following the deadly sinking.
He said the Government has received several proposals to salvage the vessel but stressed that the families’ wishes must be weighed alongside those offers.
“There are a lot of offers to salvage, right, and also this idea of creating a memorial site,” Phillips said, adding: “Whether we salvage the vessel or proceed with the construction of a memorial site, it has to be done in keeping with the wishes of the family.”
The possibility of a memorial at the wreck site has raised questions about safety and practicality. Phillips said such concerns would be assessed if that option is ultimately selected and would form part of the design and construction process.
The wreck lies approximately 10.5 metres underwater, while divers have faced poor visibility and muddy conditions. The vessel has also been settling deeper into the mud as sediment accumulates around and inside it, complicating recovery efforts.
At the latest Government update, 77 people had initially been rescued. However, one survivor subsequently died, leaving 76 survivors. A total of 73 bodies had been recovered, while approximately 30 people remained unaccounted for. Five of the recovered bodies had not yet been identified.
The Government has indicated that some of those still missing may be inside the sunken vessel, making it an important focus of the ongoing search and recovery operation. Questions have also been raised about whether salvaging the vessel could yield evidence relevant to the Commission of Inquiry into the disaster.
Phillips said the Government has received offers from reputable international salvage companies, though he did not name them.
“We want to get to the truth, but we want to also honour the wishes of the family,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the Commission of Inquiry into the disaster would proceed regardless of whether the vessel is salvaged, drawing on testimony from survivors, the captain and engineer, and those involved in the rescue operation. The vessel has no black box, but documentation relating to repairs and communication records generated during the search are expected to be compiled as evidence.
