By Indrawattie Natram
For Helna Moonsammy, the horrifying moments aboard the MV Barima on Saturday night are memories she says will haunt her forever.
Still shaken by the tragedy, the grandmother described the vessel’s sinking as being “like the Titanic” movie as she continues to pray that the bodies of her missing grandchildren are found.
Moonsammy was among several members of her family travelling to Region One when disaster struck. According to relatives, eight members of the family, including several children, were on board the vessel when it capsized somewhere off the Pomeroon coast at around 9:00 p.m.
Recalling the terrifying ordeal, the grandmother said the boat sank within seconds after it was hit by large waves. She explained that many passengers were caught off guard, with children already asleep when the vessel began taking on water.
In the chaos that followed, Moonsammy and other passengers became trapped inside a section of the vessel and were forced to fight for survival as water rushed in. Despite desperate efforts to save the children, several of them disappeared beneath the waves.
Family members said only a few relatives have been rescued, while a number of children remain missing.
Meanwhile, Samantha Ramitt, the mother of some of the missing children, said her daughter had been travelling with Moonsammy and other relatives on what was intended to be a family vacation to Region One.
Overcome with grief, Ramitt said the family continues to hold on to hope that their loved ones may still be found. She described the uncertainty as unbearable and said relatives are praying for a miracle as search and rescue operations continue.
The tragedy has taken a heavy emotional toll on Moonsammy, who has reportedly sought medical attention following the incident. Relatives said the distraught grandmother has refused to return home and remains determined to stay close to the search efforts until her grandchildren are found.
As rescue teams continue combing the waters, the family remains united in grief, hoping for answers and closure in the aftermath of one of the country’s most devastating maritime disasters.
According to officials, the MV Barima departed for Port Kaituma on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. with 133 people aboard—116 passengers and 17 crew members. It issued a distress call at 11:01 p.m., prompting a massive search-and-rescue operation. As of the latest official update, 67 people, including 15 children, have been rescued, while 66 remain unaccounted for. The search area has been expanded from 400 to 1,070 square kilometres, with aircraft, vessels, divers and advanced life-detection scanners deployed to aid the operation.
The Government has established three Emergency Family Assistance Centres to provide information, support and assistance to relatives of passengers and crew involved in the MV Barima tragedy.
The centres are located at:
- Port Kaituma Community Centre, Port Kaituma, Region One — 662-3577
- NAREI Extension Centre (Kumaka), Mabaruma, Region One — 769-3541
- Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown — 658-2050
Officials are urging relatives seeking information or support to contact or visit the nearest assistance centre, where personnel are available to provide updates, psychosocial support and other services as the search-and-rescue operation continues.
