—Three families recount the terror, heartbreak and desperate fight for survival as one of Guyana’s worst maritime tragedies unfolds.

THEY boarded the MV Barima expecting to reunite with family, celebrate birthdays and enjoy a long-awaited trip to Guyana’s North West District. Instead, they found  themselves fighting for their lives in dark, turbulent waters, desperately clinging to life jackets and praying that those they loved would somehow survive.

For the survivors, the sinking of the MV Barima on Saturday night will forever be remembered as the moment their lives changed.

‘I LOST MY GRIP… AND THEY WERE GONE’

Among them is Eve Jerome, a mother whose desperate attempt to save her two children ended in heartbreak.

As the vessel began taking on water and chaos erupted on board, Jerome held tightly onto 12-year-old Alliya Gonsalves and three-year-old Jerome Jacobs. But the force of the waves proved stronger than her grip.

“I lost my grip of my two children,” she recalled through tears.

The family had been travelling to Mabaruma in Region One. Jerome said her husband is blind and the family survives on public assistance. Everything they owned, including her public assistance book, was lost or damaged when the vessel went down.

She recalled that moments before the tragedy, her children had been asleep. She had gone to purchase something for them when she allegedly noticed members of the vessel’s crew consuming alcohol.

Soon afterwards, passengers began shouting that water was entering the vessel.

“People started raising alarms that water was entering the boat, but the captain kept telling us that everything was normal,” she alleged.

Life jackets were eventually distributed, although Jerome admitted she did not know how to properly secure one. She believes it ultimately saved her life.

“My babies are gone and left me. I feel they are dead. Divers are searching, and I keep praying for my children. This is the hardest thing I have ever faced,” she said.

Her eldest child had been looking forward to celebrating a birthday in the coming days. New clothes had already been purchased for the occasion.

Now, all Jerome wants is for her children’s bodies to be found.

‘IT WAS LIKE THE TITANIC’

For grandmother Helna Moonsammy, the sinking unfolded so quickly that she could scarcely comprehend what was happening.

“It was like the Titanic,” she said, comparing the terrifying ordeal to the famous maritime disaster.

Moonsammy had been travelling with several relatives to Region One when the vessel encountered rough seas off the Pomeroon coast.

She recalled that within seconds, powerful waves overwhelmed the vessel as water rushed inside.

Children who had been asleep only moments earlier suddenly became trapped in the unfolding chaos.

Passengers fought desperately to escape as water rapidly filled sections of the vessel.

Several members of her family became separated in the darkness.

While some relatives survived, several of Moonsammy’s grandchildren remain missing.

The emotional toll has been overwhelming. Family members said the grandmother has since sought medical attention but refuses to leave the area, determined to remain close to the ongoing search operation.

Her daughter, Samantha Ramitt, said the family continues to cling to hope while praying for answers.

“We’re just praying for a miracle,” Ramitt said.

A FAMILY TORN APART

For brothers Adam and Nathaniel Matabheek, what was supposed to be a joyful family visit has become a nightmare they may never escape.

The family had boarded the MV Barima bound for Smith’s Creek, Rachel Welch’s home village, where Nathaniel planned to introduce his wife and children to relatives.

Instead, Rachel and the couple’s three children — Nathaniel Jr., eight, Natalia, five, and Ezekiel, three — remain missing.

Adam said he and his brother first noticed the vessel leaning shortly before disaster struck. At first, they assumed it was simply reacting to rough seas.

Moments later, the vessel overturned.

Adam managed to secure a life jacket.

His wife, Carlita, became trapped inside the vessel before escaping and clinging to a floating life jacket despite being unable to swim.

In the darkness, she repeatedly called out for her husband.

Eventually, the couple reunited before finding Nathaniel drifting nearby, clutching onto a bucket while desperately searching for his wife and children.

The three survivors spent hours floating through the night, relying on life jackets, prayer and each other to stay alive until daylight.

Today, they are grateful to have survived.

But their relief is overshadowed by the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the loved ones they were unable to save.

For Nathaniel, what was meant to be his family’s first visit to his wife’s home community has become a journey marked by unimaginable loss.

As search-and-rescue teams continue combing the waters, the three families remain united by a single hope—that those still missing can be found, bringing some measure of closure after one of Guyana’s most devastating maritime tragedies.

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.

>>> Photo saved as Rescue

Caption : As search-and-rescue teams continue combing the waters, the three families remain united by a single hope—that those still missing can be found, bringing some measure of closure after one of Guyana’s most devastating maritime tragedies.

>>>> Photo saved as : Matabheek

Caption : What was meant to be a joyous family trip to the North West District has turned into a painful ordeal for the Matabheek family after the sinking of the MV Barima off the coast of Region Two on Saturday night