The search and recovery operation for victims of the MV Barima disaster has expanded into a multinational effort, with French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago deploying specialist personnel to assist Guyana as authorities intensify efforts to recover victims from the sunken ferry.
The international support comes after the MV Barima was located on the seabed near the mouth of the Pomeroon River, where it capsized late Saturday night while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. The wreck was located with the assistance of a survey vessel owned by Sealand Surveys and operated by VEHSI, working in collaboration with ExxonMobil Guyana and local fisherman Haresh (Naresh) Singh, who first identified the vessel’s location.
The French Armed Forces stationed in French Guiana have dispatched a 15-member specialist team led by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Touboul. The contingent comprises 12 specialist divers, two medics and a mechanic, who have joined Guyanese authorities in underwater search, rescue and recovery operations.
Trinidad and Tobago has also committed rescue personnel and divers to bolster the operation as Guyana struggles to respond to what has become the country’s worst maritime disaster in decades. Government officials have said the additional expertise is critical as divers work to access the submerged vessel and recover victims.
The MV Barima, an 87-year-old passenger and cargo ferry, capsized after issuing a distress signal shortly before midnight on Saturday. The tragedy has exposed serious shortcomings in the country’s emergency preparedness after authorities acknowledged that the official passenger manifest was inaccurate, leaving investigators uncertain about the true number of people aboard. Subsequent reviews of boarding footage suggested as many as 179 persons may have been travelling on the vessel.
The arrival of regional assistance reflects both the complexity of the recovery effort and the difficult conditions confronting rescuers. Strong currents, poor visibility and the depth of the wreck have complicated operations, while specialist divers are expected to play a crucial role in recovering victims trapped inside the vessel.
The disaster has prompted an outpouring of regional solidarity. CARICOM has expressed condolences to the families of those affected and praised the efforts of emergency responders, private vessel operators and local fisherfolk who joined the search from the earliest hours of the tragedy.
As recovery operations continue, the multinational mission underscores the scale of the catastrophe and the growing regional commitment to helping Guyana bring closure to grieving families while investigations continue into how one of the country’s oldest passenger ferries came to rest on the floor of the Atlantic.
