Junior Works Minister Deodat Indar on Friday reassured the families of the three missing Nobel House Seafoods fishermen that authorities are doing all they can to locate the men.
During a meeting with the distressed families on the sixth day of a search, Indar informed that the search area was being expanded and that all resources at hand were being utilized in the search operations.
Indar yesterday explain-ed to Stabroek News that a search team remains at sea combing the area where they believed the men were last seen. However, there was no positive news, he said. He stated that the nets that were found at sea did not belong to the men’s missing trawler, World Friend 307, and to date they have not seen any trace of belongings of the men or the trawler.
The missing men are, Harold Anthony Damon, 45, Captain of the vessel; Ronald Burton, 78; and Winston Sam, 46, of McDoom, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Yesterday family members said that they are holding on to their faith in hopes of some positive news.
Tonszadel Beckles-Damon yesterday told Stabroek News that it has been difficult for the past few days and not just her but also for her family.
As she emphasised that they remain hopeful, she said her family and the others might need counselling to navigate this period.
“It has not been easy. I haven’t been eating, and today I had to force myself to eat… I made some soup… I sleeping and I wake up shivering. I don’t know what is happening. I walking and you just feel like your knees getting weak… it’s been really hard these past few days,” the woman lamented.
The sister-in-law of Sam, Tiffany Sue-Bobb, yesterday explained that her sister has been ill since they learnt of the men’s disappearance. She explained that her sister is currently hypertensive and requires bed rest.
“We don’t know what to believe! I have come to the conclusion that the boat didn’t sink because how come you cannot find a boat that large! And if you say it is heavy and that made it sink quickly, why you can’t find it? Water moved it?” she questioned.
According to her, her family remains optimistic like the others about receiving good news.
A MARAD vessel which is a part of the search and is equipped with sonar capabilities, has been scouring the seafloor in a bid to detect the sunken vessel. Two trawlers from Noble House Seafoods have also been aiding the search.
Vincent Dazzell, another crewman from Agricola, is the lone survivor to date and has been assisting with the search.
Indar and Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Monday announced an official probe at a brief meeting held at the Ministry of Public Works Boardroom, Kingston.
The investigating team consists of MARAD Director of Maritime Safety Captain John Flores; Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard Lieute-nant Rawle Williams; Ministry of Agriculture Chief Fisheries Officer Denzil Roberts; Yurlander Hughes from the Transport and Harbours Department; Ronald Charles from the Ministry of Public Works; Senior Superintendent Ewart Wray of the Guyana Police Force’s Marine Unit; and Dwayne Vyphuis, Occupational Safety and Health Officer from the Ministry of Labour.
“Those seven persons will be tasked to provide a report for the sequence of events commencing from the point of the place of departure from Port Georgetown straight through to the point where they received the distress call to confirmation that the boat (had) sunk…,” Indar said.
