The search team scouring a section of the Atlantic Ocean for the three missing Noble House Seafood fishermen and their vessel have zeroed in on the possible location, Maritime Administration Director of Safety, Captain John Flores says.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday afternoon, Flores said that divers will today descend into the waters to confirm if it is the vessel ‘World Friend 307’ on which the crew members were operating.
He noted that the search team with the aid of the sonar device on the vessel was able to detect an object in the area.
“The divers will have to go down and check. The plan is to return early [this] morning and conduct the search to see if it is really that vessel or if it is an older wreck,” Flores said.
It has been close to week since a search and rescue operation got underway to find the missing fishermen and the vessel they were aboard.
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).
Tonszadel Beckles-Damon yesterday told Stabroek News that it remains unclear as to what occurred at sea. She said the lone survivor to date Vincent Dazzell has not been seen in the area since he related the incident to family members on February 19.
“Something is fishy here because we cannot understand why they cannot find the boat unto now. The police need to question this guy (Dazzell) we realize he tell every family a different story,” the wife of the Captain yesterday told Stabroek News.
The woman stated that while she keeps praying for her husband and the two other crew members to return alive, it has been emotionally taxing on her family. The uncertainty, she said has left her entire family traumatized.
On Friday, Beckles-Damon emphasised that she remains hopeful but 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.
Meanwhile, the family of Burton yesterday said they have had no update on the search and suggested this newspaper make contact with the company.
They too said that they were devastated by the entire ordeal and were trying to remain positive.
Minister in the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar on Friday reassured the families that the authorities are doing all they can to locate the men and their vessel.
Dazzell, after making his way to shore on Saturday last informed the company and family members of the missing crewmen of what had occurred.
He stated that just after 6 am on Saturday, February 19, the captain woke up the crew members and instructed that they check the boat. The checks revealed that the engine room and other parts of the boat were taking in water.
This prompted the Captain to radio the company and lodge a report on what was transpiring. As the boat began to take in more water, Dazzell related that they were instructed to lower the lifeboat and get in. However, he told Beckles-Damon that her husband jumped back on to the vessel in a bid to retrieve his phone.
It is unclear what occurred after that.
“He tell me the boat drop and he went down and drank water and catch cramp all and blacked out but he was rescued by a fishing boat and they search for about three hours before returning to shore…when they meet, he said the men who rescued him gave him a bus fare and he come and tell the company,” Beckles-Damon recounted.
She pointed out that while Dazzell said that he returned during the course of Saturday afternoon, it was around minutes to 7 pm that night, they learnt of the tragedy.
