Minister Persaud offers comforting words as search continues

MINISTER of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, who also has the fisheries portfolio, met with family members of the three men and the teenager missing since departing on a fishing trip.

Missing: Captain of “Sir Kegan” Michael Ramlochan (with baby ).

At the Unity, East Coast Demerara meeting, Persaud pledged his support to families who received a report that an upturned fishing boat was seen floating on the Essequibo River bank in the vicinity of Supenaam.

He said he asked a fisheries officer to travel to Charity and confirm whether the vessel was indeed the ‘Sir Kegan’ on which the four had sailed.

Michael’s sister-in-law, Suraj Persaud and one of his four children yesterday at his home.

Comforting the anxious relatives, Persaud told the worried group: “If there is anything we can do, let us know and let us remain hopeful that the men are still alive.”

The men and the teen have been overdue for five days and several searches for them have not yielded results.

However, a ten-member party yesterday continued searching for Captain Michael Ramlochan, 38, cousins, Basdeo Ramphal, 22 and Ramlall Ramphal, 26 and 14-year-old Peter Torres.

Ramlochan’s wife, Nalini Singh informed that the four left on May 26 and were expected back in two days.

Missing: Basdeo Ramphal (holding babies).

But, when her brother showed them a piece of seine and the flag from the boat which he found in the deep, they suspected something was amiss.

Singh assured Minister Persaud that her husband is a veteran fisherman of 16 years experience and it was unlike him not to return home on schedule.

Relatives of Ramlochan, of Lot 61 Mosquito Hall, also on East Coast Demerara, told the Guyana Chronicle they started a search with a boat hoping to locate the disappeared four.

His sister-in-law, Suraj Persaud, 25, confirmed that the father of four would usually stay only two days on a trip.

Meanwhile, at the home of the Ramphals, Riverview

Basdeo’s relatives yesterday at his home.

Squatting Area, Unity, scores gathered in a somber atmosphere awaiting word on the fate of their loved ones.

Missing: Ramlall Ramphal.

Basdeo is unmarried and has lived with his aunt, Surajdai Baijnauth, since his mother died of a heart attack last January. His father, a fisherman, too, drowned at sea eight years ago.

Torres, of Lancaster, Unity, left home unknowing to his clan and was supposed to be at Lancaster Secondary School although he has previously been on fishing trips at weekends, his relatives said.

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