Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud yesterday visited the hospitalised fishermen who sustained burns to various parts of their bodies in Saturday’s trawler explosion as the captain of the ill-fated vessel remains missing.
Persaud told this newspaper yesterday that a team of officials from various agencies under the umbrella of the ministry has begun work on a full investigation into the incident in which the Pritipaul Singh Investments owned vessel, Captain Lloyd 97, exploded several miles off the Waini Coast in the North West District on Saturday morning.
The minister visited the injured men, George Fitzpatrick, Orlon Munroe and Leslie Adams at the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday and he also offered comforting words to relatives of the injured men. Accompanied by members of the Coast Guard and company officials, Persaud also visited the ill-fated vessel which arrived at the Houston wharf yesterday morning. Relatives of the injured men related that the vessel was “still smoking” when it arrived at East Bank Demerara facility yesterday.
Search parties which ventured out in search of the missing boat captain Delbert Williams came up empty-handed yesterday, while officials of the company remain mum.
The man’s relatives continued to express hope yesterday that he will be found alive.
Relatives of Fitzpatrick, who sustained third degree burns and Munroe, who sustained second degree burns stated that the men are recovering from their injuries at the Burns Care Unit of the public hospital. Their conditions are listed as stable.
Their colleague Leslie Adams, who sustained burns to the face and other parts of his body is expected to be discharged from the hospital within the next few days as his injuries are said to be minimal. The Cane Grove, Mahaica fishermen and their colleague Elvis Todd, survived the ordeal as their colleague and neighbour Williams remains missing.
The 47-year old captain of the vessel may not have survived the ordeal based on accounts provided by the survivors as he was reportedly on fire when his colleagues made attempts to move to safety after the incident occurred. The explosion reportedly occurred when Williams, Munroe and Fitzpatrick were attempting to remedy a problem which the vessel’s engine was experiencing during the expected six weeks trip.
Adams told this newspaper on Sunday afternoon that from all appearances the fire which engulfed the entire vessel, started around 9 am in the engine room at the bottom of the vessel, beneath the area where he was sleeping.
The men were rescued by a passing Venezuelan vessel which they signalled to and were eventually transferred to another vessel belonging to the company with which they work.
The vessel was reportedly experiencing mechanical problems since the journey began last Thursday, since according to relatives of the injured men, they were told that the crew were forced to return to their company’s base at Mc Doom on the East Bank Demerara after the vessel broke down.
