It has been ten days since four fishermen were reported missing after they ventured out to help recover one of their boats which had sent out a distress signal.
The four, Hazrat Razack also called ‘Denno’, Cicil Persaud, Vickram Singh, and Worrin Yip-sam, headed out on November 16 to aid one of their red snapper boats from which they had received a distress signal.
Razack’s daughter, Subrina Bahadur, told the Sunday Stabroek yesterday, “They left on November 16 after the red snapper boat sent out the signal for help.” She recalled that just two months prior the red snapper boat had a similar issue. “Two months ago, the boat had a similar problem and they went out and spent two days at sea and came back.
“The boat which they left with is slightly smaller and has a smaller battery. They left with an alternator and battery to assist the red snapper boat”, she said.
Bahadur said that the family expected the men to return by November 18 but when that day passed, they became worried and contacted ‘Maritime’ – MARAD (Maritime Administration Department) – for assistance. “Maritime reached out and sent a radio signal but they did not get any response.”
The family became even more worried when the red snapper boat that sent the distress signal, returned to shore. “They said my father never reached them.” Malisa Rashid, a relative of one of the fishermen told the Sunday Stabroek that the captain of the red snapper boat related to the family that he received assistance from another passing boat with their battery problems and he ended up repairing the engine himself and returned to shore.
The search continues with the coast guard conducting an aerial search for two days,
Malisa also disclosed that “10 days have gone by since they left with only two days’ worth of food and one tank of drinking water and since they left on the 16th, we haven’t heard back anything.”
She related that ‘Denno’ one of the missing fishermen, has a nephew who has four boats and he said that he had seen the missing fishermen’s boat in shark infested waters, however nobody was aboard the vessel.
“The coast guard used the helicopter for two days but today they are using a boat to head to the spot where Denno’s nephew said he last saw them.”
The Sunday Stabroek contacted the Ministry of Public Works yesterday and was told that they have received no reports of the incident as yet, but are currently inquiring about it with the relevant authorities. (Mia Anthony)
