After three weeks and no success, the search and rescue operation for the Air Services Limited (ASL) plane with its pilot and worker that went missing somewhere over the jungle in Region Eight has been called off.
This decision was taken after three weeks of efforts, including aerial and ground searches, came up empty, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced yesterday.
Transport Minister Robeson Benn and the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) took the decision to end the operation, the GCAA said in statement issued yesterday. While the GCAA detailed the efforts made to find the plane and the men, it made no mention of what will happen next.
On December 28, 2014, the ASL Britten Norman Islander 8R-GHE disappeared while on a routine shuttle operation from Mahdia to Karisparu. On board were Captain Nicholas Persaud, 27, and cargo handler David Bisnauth, 51, who have not been heard from since.
Bisnauth’s sister Malini told Stabroek News yesterday that it was military officials who informed her that the search effort had been called off. While voicing her disappointment at the decision, she said she is still harbouring hope that she will see her brother again.
According to the GCAA, there have been 21 days of intensive aerial and ground searches in mountainous and densely forested terrain in Region Eight for the plane and its occupants. “Over the past three weeks the search for the missing aircraft and its occupants engaged a varied and substantial number of resources, including, personnel, aircraft, specialized equipment among others and all leads have been exhausted without success,” it stated.
After the aircraft was reported overdue, the GCAA said aerial reconnaissance was conducted over the Mahdia, Kaieteur, Karisparu and Taffy areas, following the most probable track that the aircraft would have flown.
Three helicopters were deployed followed by an ASL Cessna Caravan and 11 army Special Forces officers on the day the plane went missing, while the RCC was established and supported by Benn, Major Mike Charles, and Captain Gerry Gouveia along with several agencies. The supporting agencies included the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Geology and Mines Com-mission, the Civil Defence Commission, the Ministry of Health, the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation, the Civil Aviation Depart-ment–Suriname, CGX, ASL and the GCAA.
The GCAA stated that information gathering and planning was done from the RCC and coordinated for execution by the sub-centre established at Mahdia.
During the last three weeks, it noted, extensive searches were conducted by three helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft from a base established at Mahdia, to locations identified as “high probability areas” based on reported sightings and more than 21 interviews with miners, villagers and relatives. The aircraft flew over 230 hours over the Blackwater Creek basin, North Fork, Konawaruk River, Ebini, Eagle, Mowasi, Glendor Mountains, and the Kurungiku Mountain range, including “Toucan Face,” “Twin Towers,” and Toucan Valley. The helicopters, the statement added, conducted multiple sorties over the Blackwater Creek and North Fork areas, including locations where damaged trees and crows were observed.
According to the GCAA, ground searches complemented the aerial searches after the third day and intensified thereafter with seven ground search parties, totalling 47 persons from the Guyana Forestry Commission, St Cuthbert’s Mission, Mahdia and Chenapau villagers, 20 Special Forces officers and family members of Captain Persaud and other volunteers.
Approximately 20 insertions and extractions of ground search parties were done at nine landing areas to trek along the treacherous and densely forested terrain, it further said, while adding that among the areas combed were those where potential images had been captured by a Canadian Twin Otter with capability of picking up large metallic objects.
According to the statement, later in the search, several attempts to pursue an additional lead from a camp owner were made by the RCC and ASL. However, after over one week, the person failed to take officers to the location from where he said the aircraft was seen. Using the information provided, the GDF Special Forces Officers combed the mountainous area pinpointed, without any success.
Over the last weekend, the GCAA added, another team including Captain Gouveia continued the search efforts, however, once again there was no sighting of the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Bisnauth’s emotional sister told Stabroek News via telephone from Region Eight that had the ground search commenced earlier, she would have been satisfied with the efforts. She expressed frustration at the fact that no efforts have been made to search the at least seven rivers located within the search area.
“I still have great hopes… I wanted a few days more,” she said, while adding that ASL had given up hope days ago when most of the searchers returned to Mahdia empty-handed. She and ASL officials have been at loggerheads since the aircraft went missing. The woman had complained bitterly that the company was refusing to hand over her brother’s documents and clothing and was treating her badly.
Asked what she plans to do now, she was unsure. She said sometimes she wanted to go and search herself but she did not know where to begin. She said her entire family is now gripped by uncertainty.
