(Trinidad Guardian) The bodies of three of the four missing crew members of the St Vincentian vessel, MV Fair Chance, have been recovered by the Coast Guard, 16 days after the vessel overturned five nautical miles in the Gulf of Paria off Monos Island.
However, divers say the fourth was “unaccounted for” after searching Monday.
The recovery team, involving Coast Guard and commercial professionals, managed to get the vessel afloat Sunday morning, after other efforts to recover the bodies failed.
The Coast Guard issued a statement on Monday night stating that cargo and other debris had blocked the hatches and doorways, delaying their attempts to recover the bodies.
The Coast Guard said a commercial salvage company was hired to assist with cutting a hole in the deck so that access could be gained.
It said the hole was cut but divers from neither the Coast Guard nor the commercial company could force their way in through the cargo and debris that blocked access to the accommodation areas of the vessel.
“Recognising that the only way to get through the blockage was to raise the Fair Chance, the salvage company began attempts to refloat her. This was a long process that was only completed on April 17,” the statement said.
It added that on Mon-day, the Coast Guard, accompanied by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, was able to enter the vessel to begin the process of clearing of debris.
“Unfortunately, the Coast Guard recovered the remains of three persons inside of Fair Chance. This leaves one person still unaccounted for according to the surviving crewmembers rescued immediately after the vessel overturned.”
Guardian Media was reliably informed that the missing crewman is Dexter Chance.
The remains of the others, Owen Prescott, Eric Calliste and Devon Celestine were removed for forensic examination last evening.
One member of the recovery team told Guardian Media that the conditions inside the vessel were hazardous, delaying the recovery of the three bodies.
They said that the team had to use a pump to remove water from the inside of the vessel.
The pumping went late into Monday evening.
Alesha Williams, the wife of Eric Calliste, said the wives of the crew members went down to Chaguaramas yesterday morning to see if they could see their loved one’s bodies but the process took many hours and they couldn’t wait.
She told Guardian Media that communication between the people overseeing the rescue operation and the relatives of the four crew members was poor.
“Why is it taking so long with the recovery? Oh God, the men are done decaying already. We would have liked to see the body remain good,” she complained.
“We have to be fishing for information. They are saying we are calling every minute, but how will we get the information? They are supposed to have someone communicating with us…Information isn’t coming clear.”
Nonetheless, she said she was grateful for their efforts.
According to Williams, her husband, with whom she shared two children, was a good man who lost his life trying to make a better life for his family.
She said it’s been a struggle to keep afloat mentally since he died—a struggle made even more difficult, she said, by the length of time it’s taken to recover his body.
“Family and friends keep calling, wishing me well. Provisions have been made for my children, but I have headaches for days. I am not feeling good. I think I should probably speak to someone to make me feel good,” she said.
“He went on the vessel for betterment and advancement. It didn’t turn out well. That day could have been a good rescue mission, but it didn’t turn out in a timely manner…Coast Guard said they had no lights and it was murky water, which I don’t want to hear. We should have all this equipment.”
The MV Fair Chance left Trinidad on April 2 with seven people aboard destined for Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
During its journey, for reasons yet to be confirmed, the vessel overturned.
Two crew members, Derron Small and Johnel McIntosh, were rescued by a passing vessel.
On April 7, the body of a crew member was recovered by divers.