UP to press time the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had confirmed that at 13:00hrs, the search for the missing ASL Britten Norman Islander was suspended because of inclement weather.

The search was however resumed at 16:00hrs as more army special forces at a new location will re-commence the search today.
A platoon of Guyana Defence Force Special Force was flown into Mahdia from Timehr on Wednesday to join the ground search for the missing Britten Norman Islander; also joining the search were six villagers from Chenapau. They were transported by helicopters to an area of interest and commenced searching on Thursday at sunrise.
The search- and- rescue team expanded their “foot search” as the search continued after day 10 for the missing Britten Norman Islander, bearing the registration number 8R-GHE.The plane disappeared around midday on December 28.
On January 3, three teams were flown into Mahdia, Region 7(Cuyuni-Mazaruni) from Timehri by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Skyvan to assist with the search that yet again proved futile. Ten members from the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC); eight ranks from the GDF Special Forces and eight line cutters from St. Cuthbert’s Mission were inserted by helicopter into an “area of high interest,” bordered by the North Fork and Blackwater rivers, to commence searches.
Simultaneously, aerial examinations continued with two helicopters supported by two fixed- wing aircraft, not only in the “area of high interest,” but along the pre-determined grids which were prepared by the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC), Timehri Control Tower.
A press statement from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) explained that the area of high probability was based on reports of sightings in an area above the highest peak, east of Deer Creek, approximately 10 miles southwest of Mahdia.
Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn and GCAA Director General Zulficar Mohamed, along with members of the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) travelled to the RCC’s sub-centre in Mahdia on New Year’s Day to assist in the search- and- rescue mission.
The aerial search- and- rescue operations based at Mahdia continued on January 2; however, due to inclement weather and overcast conditions, the operations started late. In a press statement received from the GCAA, it noted that based on information received, the RCC identified further areas of interest in the Kurungiku Mountain, Black Water area and North Fork area. “A party is currently on the ground conducting a search of the Black Water area after completing a similar exercise in the North Fork area,” the statement related.
An Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft transporting cargo from Mahdia to Karisparu, Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni) reportedly went off grid around noon on December 28.The Britten Norman Islander, bearing the registration number 8R-GHE, had two persons on board at the time, the captain, Nicky Persaud, 27, and cargo loader, Mr David Bisnauth, 51.

(By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally)