—Underwater conditions too dangerous to enter wreck, families told

ZERO visibility, powerful currents and the maze of ropes and hammocks inside the capsized MV Barima are making recovery efforts extraordinarily dangerous, French military divers told anxious relatives of the missing during a briefing at the Charity Operations Centre on Sunday.

The update came as international dive teams continue painstaking operations at the wreck site, where authorities are racing to recover those still unaccounted for following Guyana’s worst maritime disaster.

Speaking directly to family members, a French military officer explained that the environmental conditions beneath the surface have severely limited what divers are able to do.

“We arrived on Monday, and since Tuesday we have committed about 15 dives on the wreck,” the officer said.

He explained that the operation is being carried out in complete darkness, with strong tides and currents making navigation extremely hazardous.

“It is totally dark there. There are very, very hard environmental conditions, especially because of the tide and the current on the wreck,” he said.

“So, it is very difficult for us to navigate through the wreck. We have to feel the wreck, and it’s like we are blind.”

The officer said divers are unable to rely on visibility and instead must navigate by touch while feeling for the vessel’s structure.

“We follow the rope, arrive on the wreck and try to navigate by searching the characteristics of the wreck,” he explained.

The presence of ropes, hammocks and other obstructions inside the vessel has made entering the wreck especially dangerous.

“It is too dangerous for us to enter into the wreck, and because of the many ropes and the hammocks, it’s very difficult to see where we are going,” he said.

The officer thanked the Guyana Defence Force for its support throughout the operation, while stressing that the difficult underwater conditions—not a lack of effort—remain the greatest obstacle facing recovery teams.

“I would also like to thank the Guyana Defence Force for all their support, which has allowed us to conduct the dives, but the weather conditions and the environmental conditions of the sea are really, really hard,” he said.

During the briefing, one relative asked whether the condition of the wreck and the underwater environment made it possible to move the vessel.

In response, the French officer acknowledged that such an operation would be extremely challenging.

“I think it is very, very hard to so such a thing… the wreck is  not very strong, so it is difficult,” he said.

The French Armed Forces are among several international teams assisting Guyana’s multi-agency operation, alongside specialist divers from Trinidad and Tobago and local dive teams.

Authorities have said recovery efforts remain focused on carefully searching the vessel, while ensuring the safety of divers working in one of the most difficult underwater environments encountered during the operation.

The MV Barima sank on the night of Saturday, July 18, 2026, while en route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, Region One.

A distress call was received at approximately 23:01hrs (11:01 p.m.), triggering one of the largest maritime search-and-rescue operations in Guyana’s history, supported by the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, local agencies, private vessels, international partners, and specialist diving teams from France, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.

Subsequent investigations confirmed that 179 people, including passengers and crew, were aboard the vessel when it capsized.

To date, 76 people have been rescued, while 73 bodies have been recovered and 65 of the recovered victims have now been positively identified by their families, while 30 persons remain uncounted for.

Government has also mobilised transportation, accommodation, psychosocial counselling, medical services, funeral assistance and other support for affected families as recovery efforts continue.

Authorities have pledged to continue the operation for as long as necessary to recover those still missing and bring closure to grieving families.