Panic erupted among passengers on a boat traversing the rough waters of the Essequibo River on Friday when the captain announced that he had lost his bearings and was unsure of where he was.
According to information received, the boat departed Supenaam at about 7:30 am, bound for Parika. About halfway into the journey, the captain informed the passengers that he needed a GPS reading since he was having difficulty determining where to go. A passenger subsequently established the boat’s location via a cellphone GPS app and realised they were heading to Bartica instead of Parika. There was intense rain and low visibility at the time.
After repositioning the boat in line with the proper coordinates, the captain set course for Parika. However, a few minutes later when he examined the nearby shoreline for reference, he realised that he was still off course. It was at this juncture that some passengers began to panic and insist that they be allowed to get off the boat. The captain attempted to calm them down and related that he was having some technical difficulties but assured he would transport them safely. To compound an already bad situation the boat suffered another technical difficulty and ended up being towed to shore by another boat.
The passengers disembarked and to add to their woes, found themselves having to walk around the back of a sawmill to access the public road. However, in recognition of the discomfort experienced, the captain refunded the passengers their fares in full. He also apologised and related that he had problems with his engine.
The relieved passengers said they were quite scared during their ordeal as the water was rough and the boat was rocking with the waves.
“The boat was swaying and we got scared and we just wanted to reach land” a passenger explained.
They are calling for tougher regulations as they say river mishaps are occurring too frequently.
