Efforts to locate Haimchand Manram, who went missing in Monday’s boat mishap in the Mazaruni River, have been unsuccessful.
Relatives of Manram, called “Uncle Ray,” told this newspaper that a search was launched yesterday by some family members, but there was no sign of him. His wife, also a passenger of the ill-fated ‘Delta,’ the tour boat which capsized after its propellers got entangled on a wire rope that was securing the dredge to the shore, pleaded for authorities to continue the search.
‘I just hope my husband is still alive,” she said, while adding, “Miners need to look out for people.
How can you operate a dredge and there is no caution signs?”
Manram is a farmer of Canal Number Two, West Coast Demerara.
The incident occurred around midday, when the boat was headed up the rapids to a campsite run by boat captain Balkarran Bhagwandas, after the tourists had viewed Marshall Falls.
The party consisted of locals and their US-based relatives, who were having a fun-filled trip in Bartica.
At the same time, a river dredge, owned by a Brazilian, was being guided up the rapids. As the ‘Delta’ began making its way up the rapids, the propellers got entangled with the wire rope and the vessel capsized, throwing the touring party overboard.
“The captain told us that he is a well-experienced boat operator for 26 years,” a passenger told Stabroek News yesterday. “He claimed that he is the master for the river,,, And what made matters worse is that we had to wait one and a half hour afterwards before the police acted.”
Ravi Parbhudial, who was also on the vessel said the captain was speeding as he approached the rapids.
“The captain told us that our hearts have to beat fast enough fast enough… and when he said it he was laughing as though he was making fun.
Before you know it, he started speeding up while he approached the rapid. The next thing I know I was at the back of the boat, and then I got caught in a rope. The boat started to swing uncontrollably as the rapid came into us.
One of the ladies was screaming. Before you know it, the boat started to sink and then I subsequently went under the boat. Everyone was in the water fighting for their lives,” he said, while adding that “The man scramble onto my feet to get help and while he doing this, I was going fight my way off to help my younger cousin who was also in the water.”
Parbhudial added that the captain was not wearing his life jacket at the time of the incident.
He also said when he asked the captain why there was no bow man with him on the vessel, he said, “people does want too much of money to work. Sometimes they want $3,000 a day and I can’t afford to pay.”
Another passenger added, “The captain should have known that a dredge was there and you can’t go up there in the first place… so when he go and get caught, he realise he couldn’t go anymore and he shut the engine off.
I could a see the Brazilian guy in the boat—telling the captain ‘Go! Go! Go!’—but the engine didn’t start. So by then, the boat had already started to sink.” A passenger raised their concern saying “why the dredge did not have any caution sign? Why the captain didn’t had a bowman with him on the vessel?
Stabroek News was informed that a boat with tourists was passing at the time of the incident and stopped to render assistance. “The captain put us off on an island and said to us that he can’t take us further because the boat is overloaded. My nephew began crying and begged the captain to help us. The captain subsequently put us back on the boat, after which he took us to Bartica,” a passenger said.
There was no ambulance to take them to the hospital and as a result they hired vehicles to get there.
Those treated included Adelisa Persaud, David Etawaru, Anil Parbudhial, Gabriella Persaud, Romana Persuad, and Roma Persaud. A nine month old baby, also on board was said to be doing well. (Roxanne Clarke)
