Sixth survivor rescued after braving elements 61 hours
-colleague missed the boat by a hair’s breadth
UP TO press time last evening, Elbert Jack Jr. was being treated by doctors at the Mabaruma Hospital, where his condition was being monitored. He is expected to be flown to Georgetown sometime this morning.
Jack was discovered alive in the vicinity of Waini Point, North West District, holding on to a life ring just after 10:30hrs yesterday morning.
It was reported that the man, traumatised and dehydrated, was holding on to the lifebuoy for close to 61 hours at sea.
He was among nine persons who went overboard after their vessel, The Chris-Ann-V, sank in the Atlantic Ocean close to the mouth of the Pomeroon River on the evening of February 29 last.
Jack and a man of East Indian descent had clung to the lone life-ring that was used after tragedy struck, despite the boat being equipped with six and a life jacket without straps.
Jack explained to his rescuers that he and his fellow crewmember had been sharing the life ring, but the other man failed to maintain his hold on the device, and went underwater early yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, hours after Jack had been rescued, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received a call informing them that there was another sighting (somebody in the water or on land) in the vicinity of Tiger Beach, some 20-25 miles west of the Pomeroon River.
However, searches in that area by the army and other rescue teams turned up empty-handed.
During a press briefing at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Stabroek, Georgetown on Friday, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn had  explained that the Centre has been trying to make contact with the owner of the cargo the vessel was carrying at the time of the mishap.
At that briefing, the vessel’s young engineer had disclosed that at the first sign that the vessel was in distress, he made contact with the man, whose name was given as Mr. Weldon Damon. The engineer had explained that when Damon was apprised of what was happening, the man requested to speak with his (Damon’s) brother, who was also at sea with the crew.
That all occurred just after 9pm on February 29. However, it was only at approximately 15:30hrs on Thursday afternoon that information began reaching authorities that a vessel might be in distress out at sea.
Minister Benn subsequently said at a briefing yesterday that the matter would be investigated by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), and the findings sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for action.
Director-General of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Ms. Claudette Rogers, who was present at yesterday’s briefing, explained that MARAD would review the constitution to see what penalties, if any, could be meted out to Mr. Damon.
Asked about the capabilities and results of search-and-rescue missions in this country, Minister Benn replied that while there is need for more resources and added features to local search-and-rescue missions, Guyana was working with what it has.
He further explained that Guyana’s search-and-rescue operations are done with the resources that are available to the government, and what the government can afford. When there is a need for more resources than the government has at its disposal, calls are placed to other agencies and to resourceful citizens.
The minister also stated that in some cases, the assets closest to the point of a reported tragedy are pressed into service, and this included neighbouring states.
He said too that while there are those who may want to see the government, and moreso the search-and-rescue unit having on standby all the resources for such missions, that situation will not be free of its problems. He explained that the resources cannot immediately be placed on standby, but even if that were to be accomplished, the movement of the teams would still depend largely on a number of factors.
He pointed to the time the report of distress reaches the authorities, the location of the incident, and if the area is safe to venture into at the time the report is made. He explained that, in this present operation, resources of the military, coast guards are used, while civilians also aid the process. He repeated what was reported by the boat engineer on Friday — that several small fishing boats failed to render assistance to the crew, as  fisherfolk thought it was a pirate attack.
Minister Benn reminded those present that the maritime operations in Guyana have grown, and he pointed out that there are close to 1,234 fishing vessels operating locally, most of which are small boats. He said that authorities have repeatedly asked those vessels with radio and satellite sets to report to the relevant authorities before setting sail, giving information on where they intend to head and the nature of their operations.
It was reported that since 2008, the vessel Chris-Ann-V was refused a licence to operate, but was nevertheless doing so unknown to the authorities.
Based on the account of the teenaged engineer who survived the tragic ordeal last Wednesday evening, the Chris-Ann-V was clearly in breach of several safety regulations.