Missing crab catchers rescued

…boat, catch were found abandoned in Suriname

FOUR Guyanese men, who were missing following a crab catching expedition in Suriname were late Sunday night rescued.
Earlier in the day news broke that the men’s boat and catch were found abandoned in neighbouring Suriname by relatives who went in search of them.

The men, identified as 22-year-old Nelson De Jonge of 511 Forth Ordinance Housing Scheme; Yageshwar Mangal called ‘Boiyo’, 23, of Number 2 Village, East Canje, Anand Deoharry, 42, of Health Centre Street, Cumberland, East Canje; and Ramdat Goonrarj called ‘Azad’, 27, of Rose Hall Town, left on Sunday,1st December, to catch crab in Suriname and were due to return late Tuesday night into Wednesday
morning.

The boat found at the shore

However, after failing to show up and after several calls went unanswered, the men’s relatives became worried that something may be amiss and sent out a search party on Sunday morning at 03:00hrs, following reports that a boat, matching the description of the one belonging to the missing men, was seen at an area named Buckberry in Nickerie. The search party eventually found the boat on the bank of the ocean and, from what they saw, the men were stuck as they missed the high tide to get them back into the sea.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Milton Persaud, who went with the search party, related that the boat, a large catch of crabs, gasoline, clothing and the engine were still on the boat as well as evidence that the men were able to separate the dead crabs from the live ones. He is of the view that the men were forced to abandon their catch and boat after their ration ran out. “They were there for over seven days; a boat man told us they were waving to them to pull them out on Friday morning, but them boat had a hole and could not help them, so them food and water must be run out and them try to find land but the area where they are, it should only take a few hours unless them went in the wrong direction,” Persaud related.

Bags of crabs left abandoned

A veteran in the fishing industry, Persaud explained that the men would have to travel some three days if they took the wrong path in order to reach civilization. They would have to trek through sling mud, swamps and dense vegetation before reaching a housing area near Caroni. He is very worried though that unless the men find fresh water, they may be dehydrated and starving as they usually do not take much ration as other fishing vessels since their trips are much shorter.

Meanwhile, the mother of Goonraj had been praying for his safe return. She related that this would have been his third trip and is very worried since he cannot stay hungry for long because he has a stomach issue.

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