By Subhana Shiwmangal
Relatives of the two persons who went missing following a boat collision on July 5 in the Mazaruni River are calling for assistance from both the police and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) as the search for their loved ones continues.
Vivian Licorish of Agatash Village, Bartica, told the Sunday Stabroek yesterday that his foster son, Cranston Davidson, 43, and his son-in-law, Troy Joseph, 35, of Agatash Village who are crusher operators at EKAA HRIM Earth Resources Management Quarry located at Batavia Island, Region Seven, left their respective homes on July 4 to collect their salary at EKAA and while they were returning to Bartica on July 5th the collision occurred.
A MARAD release yesterday stated that it is currently investigating the matter with the support of the police and both agencies are trying to locate the two missing persons.
However, Licorish maintains that since the incident, no official has reached out to the family to say anything about what happened nor did they part take in the search for his family. Since July 6, he said, he and his relatives have been using three boats in the search for the two men and up to yesterday, they were still searching; but up to now there has been no sign of either Davidson or Joseph.
“Right now [yesterday], we have a diver in the river diving to see if he can pick up anything. When the incident occurred on Friday [July 5], the Saturday [July 6] we went out to check at the river front and we didn’t see no police on the river top with no boat or anything searching for them. The only person I talked with was a guy who I know that was on the river front but he just come and talk a little about the incident and then left. No police or any officials didn’t come and give no assistance. Since Friday relatives are searching for them. Right now [yesterday] there are three boats in the river with relatives searching for them but until now there is no sign of them”, he said.
Licorish related that Davidson has seven children and a wife while Troy has three children and a wife. He is calling upon the officials at MARAD and police for assistance in locating his family.
Oswald Hudson Jr, also known as ‘Sadie’, 29, a driver of Lot 1 First Avenue, Bartica whose body was recovered on the afternoon of July 6, was in the same boat with the two men who are now missing and feared drowned.
According to the MARAD release, the incident involved two small wooden boats which collided in the Mazaruni River, about 300 metres off BK Quarries wharf.
One of the boats with the name Shower Blessing, is reportedly owned by Shavase Thomas of Itaballi and was powered by a 200-horsepower outboard engine. The other boat named Ozil is reportedly owned by Oswald Hudson of Bartica and was powered by a 75-horsepower outboard engine.
Investigations have so far has revealed that Hudson left Itaballi for Bartica with eight persons, including two children. Shavase Thomas with Rayon Mohamed on board, was heading in the opposite direction, from Bartica to Itaballi.
The impact from the collision resulted in six persons from both boats being thrown into the water, but they were rescued. Three persons: Oswald Hudson (Jnr), Troy Joseph, and Cranston Davidson were declared missing. The body of Oswald Hudson Junior was subsequently recovered, while the whereabouts of the other two are still unknown.
The maritime agency is once again calling upon all users of the waterways to have navigation lights for night travel, wear a lifejacket, and navigate at a safe speed.
