AS Guyana’s death toll from the MV Barima ferry disaster climbs and dozens remain unaccounted for, Trinidad and Tobago and French Guiana have stepped forward with military personnel, aircraft, vessels and specialist divers, joining a widening regional effort to recover the missing and support a nation in mourning.
The ferry capsized close to midnight on Saturday, 18 July, roughly seven miles off Guyana’s Atlantic coast near Iron Punt, while en route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in Region One.
By Monday, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips confirmed that 27 people had died and 83 remained missing, even as the rescued count climbed to 69.
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar moved quickly to offer her country’s support, expressing condolences to the government and people of Guyana and confirming that Port of Spain was sending help.
According to Persad-Bissessar, air and naval assets along with personnel from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force were being deployed to assist the recovery effort.
Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago stands in solidarity with Guyana as the nation awaits news of those still missing, and that Trinidadians share in Guyana’s grief.
France also answered Guyana’s call for help. A 15-member team from the French Armed Forces in French Guiana arrived in the Essequibo region to join the search, rescue and recovery operation.
The team, led by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Touboul, includes 12 specialist divers, two medics and a mechanic — expertise that has become critical as authorities shift from a rescue-focused operation toward the grim task of underwater recovery.
The French deployment came as Guyanese officials confirmed that a fisherman’s tip about a possible location of the sunken vessel prompted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to redirect all search assets to the site to verify the sighting.
Guyana’s own resources have been active non-stop. The Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration Department, private coastal vessels and local fisherfolk have led the search since the early hours of Sunday, when the Coast Guard reached the disaster site.
The government also established multiple emergency command centres, deployed medical teams and social workers, and expanded the search zone to more than 1,070 square kilometres.
Beyond Trinidad and Tobago and French Guiana, further support has poured in from across the region. The Regional Security System deployed a surveillance aircraft to conduct aerial sweeps of the search area, while ExxonMobil contributed three vessels and a specialised dive team equipped with sonar technology to scan the seabed.
The Caribbean Community said it was following the operation closely and stood in solidarity with the affected families, and the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation likewise offered its continued support.
