A bombshell source from Guyana’s Transport and Harbours Department (TH&D) has revealed that the ill-fated MV Barima was operating without critical safety equipment when it capsized on July 18, killing at least 73 people and leaving dozens still missing at sea. This revelation was made by the CGID organization.
According to the CGID source, the vessel had no life rafts in working condition, no functioning Search and Rescue Transponder (SART) – an emergency device used to locate ships in distress – and no operational Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). The source further stated that the vessel lacked a working GPS locator, making rescue efforts nearly impossible.
“If the EPIRB was operational, rescuers would have immediately located the vessel’s position on the first day, instead of having to depend on the knowledge of a fisherman to locate that vessel,” the source said.
The allegations align with claims made by the vessel’s captain, Kevin Price, who wept as he was escorted into Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. Price, who has been charged with murder alongside two crew members, told reporters the 87-year-old vessel “had a lot of issues” and that its life rafts had been expired since 2022. He also confirmed there was no radar, no search and rescue transponder, and no EPIRB on board .
The TH&D source described the decision to allow the MV Barima to remain in operation as a “criminal act” and called for those responsible to face criminal charges.
The MV Barima capsized approximately seven miles off the Pomeroon coast while traveling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. The vessel, built in 1939, was carrying more passengers than its manifest indicated, with authorities later confirming that only 35 of the 67 rescued passengers were listed on the official manifest .
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has previously maintained the vessel was seaworthy and underwent dry-docking in 2024 . However, Prime Minister Mark Phillips has launched a multi-agency investigation and Commission of Inquiry into what he described as potential “institutional failures” .
A management team responsible for the vessel’s loading and dispatch has been suspended, and the captain and first engineer have tested positive for cannabis following the disaster . Authorities have warned that anyone found guilty of negligence or misconduct will face “the full force of the law” .
