IN the early hours of Tuesday morning, a coastal vessel owned by a businessman in Region Three broke free from its moorings and collided with the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), according to Minister of Public Works Deodat Indar.

Minister Indar, speaking exclusively to the Guyana Chronicle, detailed the incident which occurred around 0400hrs. The vessel, carrying a cargo of rice and anchored near the sugar terminal area, drifted towards the Harbour Bridge after becoming unmoored. The crew, asleep at the time, were unable to prevent the collision.

“It was brought to my attention that a vessel loaded with rice cargo hit the Harbour Bridge around four this morning,” Minister Indar stated. “Based on the information received,” he said, “I learned that the crewmen were asleep as the vessel became loose and started to drift towards the bridge. It seemed that when they realised what was going on, it was too late to prevent the collision, and it hit the anchors that we would have put there some time ago.”

The collision resulted in damage to two anchors, and some auxiliary ones to the Harbour Bridge. The Coast Guard was promptly notified, and guided the vessel to a dock to discharge its cargo. Minister Indar confirmed that procedures are underway to ensure the vessel’s owner reimburses the DHB for the damage incurred.

“Divers were already called in, and the relevant personnel have gone ahead to repair the anchors. However, I want to emphasise that while this is being completed as quickly as possible so that people’s lives are not affected by this occurrence, the charges for the repair will be borne by the owner of the vessel,” Minister Indar said.
Despite the collision causing a traffic build-up on Tuesday morning, Minister Indar praised the staff’s dedication in restoring the traffic flow to its regular pace.
In light of recent collisions involving vessels and the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Minister Indar mentioned that he, along with Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), met with barge and the operators of ocean-going vessels just over a month ago to discuss preventive measures.

“We are in talks to put some measures in place, so that we can stop these collisions from happening in the future,” the minister said, adding: “We are looking at driving down some piles, and using them as safety panels for these boat operators. This is to make sure that if a vessel is coming against the tide and finds it difficult to stay in one direction or to avoid a collision, they can be able to throw the ropes on the piles.”

The proposed safety measures would be implemented between the old Harbour Bridge and the new one under construction. The minister highlighted the challenges vessels face when navigating against the tide, which often leads to uncontrollable situations.
Minister Indar also noted that while a request was made for a tug to be stationed near the ‘Harbour Bridge’ 24/7, this option has proven too costly. Instead, they plan to use mooring piles on the northern side of the bridge to provide a safer and more secure location for vessels.
In closing, Minister Indar urged all boat operators and owners to exercise greater vigilance in securing their vessels, stressing that no one benefits from such incidents.