The human toll of the MV Barima tragedy came into sharp focus Saturday evening when a 14-year-old survivor recounted losing six relatives—including his grandparents—during an emotional meeting with Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and other survivors in Port Kaituma.
The gathering, held exactly one week after Guyana’s worst maritime disaster in decades, brought together seven survivors and relatives of victims to share their experiences publicly for the first time. Mohamed said their testimony deserved to be heard by the entire nation.
“With me, I have seven survivors, seven heroes that made it. So, I would like to hear their story, because their story, of course, is a story for this entire country… to know exactly what transpired on that night.”
The MV Barima, an 87-year-old passenger ferry, capsized shortly before midnight on July 18 while sailing from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. The disaster claimed more than 100 lives, prompting nationwide mourning and raising serious questions about the vessel’s seaworthiness, emergency preparedness, search-and-rescue operations and the Government’s continued reliance on an ageing ferry fleet.
Before hearing the survivors’ accounts, Mohamed expressed hope that authorities were providing psychosocial, health and economic support to those who lived through the ordeal.
“I hope the government, they’re putting systems in place to ensure social workers are meeting with you guys in terms of counseling, psychosocial, etc.”
Teen survivor recounts terrifying night
Mohamed invited 14-year-old Kevon, a fourth-form student, to describe what happened aboard the vessel.
The teenager said passengers had already noticed water on the ferry before disaster struck.
“It was at 4 p.m… Water. On the floor of the vessel.”
Kevon said he was not rescued until about 5:00 a.m. Sunday, after spending hours battling the sea in darkness.
He survived alongside six other people, including his uncle, another woman and a nine-year-old girl.
“There were seven of us… All of them survived.”
They were eventually taken to Charity before being transported to the hospital.
A family’s final journey ends in tragedy
What began as a conversation about property lost in the sinking quickly unfolded into one of the meeting’s most heartbreaking moments.
Kevon revealed that the disaster claimed six members of his family, including his grandparents.
His grandmother, Thelma Bovell, had died before the voyage, and her body was being transported to Port Kaituma for burial aboard the MV Barima. Accompanying her on that final journey was her husband, Percy France, along with several relatives.
Instead, the ferry sank before reaching its destination.
France and five other accompanying family members all perished.
In an emotional revelation, Kevon said his grandmother’s remains have still not been recovered. While Mohamed’s independent search-and-recovery team located her red coffin floating in the water, her body was no longer inside, leaving the family fearing they may never find her.
The teenager also disclosed that his grandfather died in the sinking while accompanying his wife’s body back home.
Mohamed offered his condolences.
“My deepest sympathies.”
Questions over rescue response
The teenager also described the desperate hours survivors spent drifting in rough seas before being rescued.
According to his account, they spotted the Coast Guard several hours before daylight but were unable to attract its attention.
“It’s like about 3 o’clock time… we see the Coast Guard and we holler, but the waves carry me, bring me back.”
Mohamed questioned why powerful searchlights had not been used earlier during the overnight rescue effort.
“I want the Coast Guard put on the lights immediately at 12 p.m. midnight, and shine lights, and rescue almost everyone, or at least most of the people.”
Calls for counseling and compensation
Mohamed also pressed the teenager about the assistance he had received since surviving the disaster.
When asked whether counselors or social workers had been visiting survivors, Kevon said officials had contacted him only twice by telephone and that one person had briefly visited to offer condolences.
“They just come and talk and say, sorry, sorry.”
Asked whether the Government had compensated him for belongings lost aboard the vessel, the teenager said he had received $50,000 toward replacing his cellphone but estimated his losses exceeded that amount.
“More.”
Mohamed argued that survivors, particularly young people who had endured severe trauma, deserved greater support.
“You have teenagers here, most of them are teenagers. And they are affected… compensate the young man, compensate him, he had lost more than 50,000 dollars worth.”
He also criticised the handling of victims’ remains after recovery operations.
“Look at the manner how you transporting their bodies, have no respect, no respect for the dead, no dignity.”
As the meeting continued, Mohamed invited other survivors and grieving relatives to recount their experiences, emphasizing that their testimonies were essential not only for the families seeking closure but also for a nation demanding answers about how one of Guyana’s deadliest maritime disasters unfolded.
He said every account would help paint a fuller picture of the events leading up to the sinking of the MV Barima, the desperate hours survivors spent battling the sea, and the challenges many families continue to face in the tragedy’s aftermath.
At the time of publication, Mohamed and members of his team remained in Port Kaituma, continuing to meet with residents, survivors and bereaved families. Throughout the evening, community members came forward one after another to share their harrowing stories of survival, loss and unanswered questions, providing firsthand accounts of the sinking, the rescue efforts and the lasting trauma left in its wake. The Opposition Leader said those voices deserved to be heard, insisting that the stories of the survivors and the families of the deceased must form part of the national record as Guyana seeks accountability and reforms to prevent a similar tragedy from ever occurring again.
