Food For the Poor (Guyana) Incorporated, which hosted the boat ride, yesterday distanced itself from a “delay” in the arrival of the vessel at Parika on Easter Sunday. It said that due to unforeseen circumstances, the boat was delayed during its return journey from Bartica to Parika and the vessel arrived at the latter port at midnight. The organisation stated that the delay in arrival of the vessel had “absolutely nothing” to do with Food for the Poor, and it commended its patrons who supported the event for their patience during the incident.
Stabroek News understands that the delay in arrival of the vessel at Parika was as a result of the captain and crew of the vessel being intoxicated. According to persons who were on the trip, the vessel left for Parika but some 20 minutes after departing the interior port it began “heading back in the direction of Bartica.” Another passenger stated that the captain was intoxicated and was “openly drinking” with patrons early into the trip.
While the vessel was heading back to Georgetown, one of the passengers said, the captain and crew members soon realised that the vessel was heading in the direction of Itabali, a community along the Essequibo River located a few miles south of Bartica.
Food For the Poor Director, Leon Davis when contacted on Tuesday, told Stabroek News that there was a delay but he could not comment on the issue since it did not involve the charity. He said, “I only know we had a good time. The patrons enjoyed themselves.” Davis said that Sunday’s event came following a two-year lay off in the organisations annual boat rides. He directed further queries to the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD).
Stabroek News made several unsuccessful efforts over the past two days to obtain a comment from the T&HD General Manager’s office, but workers there said the official was not in. A staff member at the traffic office of the unit told Stabroek News yesterday that the department has a policy regarding the consumption of alcohol by passengers onboard its vessels, but she did not elaborate. T&HD staff at Bartica told this newspaper on Tuesday that the vessel in questioned departed Parika for the interior port sometime around midday on Sunday. It departed Bartica shortly after 3 pm that afternoon on its return leg, T&HD staff at the port related.
According to a passenger, the vessel was already encroaching the “bushes at the edge of the river bank” along the Essequibo River when efforts were made to remedy the situation. She said persons on board, most of whom were under the influence of alcohol, “start to behave bad” and no official on board could say at the time what was happening. Several passengers on the vessel began to “panic” during this time, and persons voiced concerns about their safety.
According to a resident at Parika, passengers became even more agitated when the vessel arrived at that port sometime before midnight as personnel on board “apparently couldn’t see what they were doing” as the vessel was being moored.
Over the years persons have been utilising the T&HD vessels for recreational events and the department last March during an Engineering Conference at the Liliendaal Convention Centre, stated that the opening of the Berbice Bridge has forced the unit to adopt new initiatives to generate funds and the hosting of recreational events using its vessels was among the recommendations made at the conference.
A similar boating event is planned by a group of promoters for the Essequibo River this coming Sunday.
