Through the intervention of the Maritime Administration (MARAD), three Trinidadian nationals have gotten help to return home after being stranded in Guyana for three months on board a vessel.
The crew members, Junior Alex, who is a cook, Kevin Paul, a welder, and Nigel Lashley, a crane operator, became stranded after the ownership of their vessel, MS Katt, changed, which resulted in their contracts at the time not being recognised by the new company, Hercules Marine.
Stabroek News understands that MARAD facilitated talks between the company and the crew members, the end result of which saw the company commit to paying the crew members owed wages and also purchasing their tickets to return home.
The crew members after realising that no one from the company was assisting with their return to Trinidad and Tobago, sought the maritime agency’s intervention.
Alex was the first to depart on Wednesday afternoon, while Lashley left on Friday and Paul will be departing today.
Paul told Stabroek News that they were overjoyed that they are finally able to return home.
“It been three months and two days since we stranded in Guyana. At this point, we just happy we finally able to go home and put this behind we,” he said yesterday afternoon via telephone.
The man stated that he and his fellow crew members were grateful for the intervention of MARAD and expressed thanks to the officers who assisted them.
With restrictions on work in the oil sector due to the COVID-19 in Trinidad and Tobago, Paul said he and his colleagues, decided to give the job a chance.
“We didn’t know what we were getting into. We used to work in the oil sector in Trinidad but after COVID we get no work. So we took a chance here but we never know this would a happen… we thankful we finally going home,” a relieved Paul said.
He explained that throughout the three months, they stayed inside the vessel which was docked at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation Wharf and had to fend for themselves. He noted that on many days it was difficult for them to get food and were forced to “make much” with whatever supplies they had.
“It was really rough during those months, we couldn’t do anything… we were helpless because we didn’t had money and the company wasn’t paying us,” Paul said, while noting they were also concerned about their families survival since they were unable to send money home.
Nonetheless, while the trio was in Guyana, they used the opportunity to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
