HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – Screams from survivors in the darkness ultimately helped lead a Coast Guard crew to victims of the MV Barima disaster after rescuers struggled with conflicting coordinates and a non-functioning onboard GPS, the Commission of Inquiry heard.
Petty Officer Deon Smith, who served as the Coast Guard’s initial point person and On-Scene Commander during the operation, testified about the difficult conditions his crew encountered after being deployed from the Pomeroon mouth floating base at approximately 11:40 p.m. on July 18.
According to Smith, the Metal Shark vessel being used for the operation did not have a functioning onboard GPS, forcing the crew to rely on personal mobile phones for navigation.
The situation was further complicated by different coordinates being relayed from multiple sources, including the Coast Guard Operations Room and other agencies.
“While they kept punching in different coordinates they got from different people and agencies… they started going back and forth, since different coordinates sent them different places,” the Commission heard.
But amid the confusion and pitch-black conditions, it was eventually the sound of people screaming from the water that helped guide the Coast Guard towards survivors.
The inquiry heard, however, that the positions where survivors were recovered were not recorded.
Smith testified that Coast Guard Headquarters did not request coordinates for those locations. He also said no official police statement was taken from him following the operation, although he participated in an internal debriefing.
The Coast Guard officer was also questioned about search-and-rescue equipment and maritime procedures, acknowledging gaps in his familiarity with some technical protocols.
Smith told the Commission that the experience continues to affect him and that he is undergoing psychological therapy.
Meanwhile, Senior Petty Officer Lynden Phillips testified about the grim recovery operation that followed.
Phillips said his team recovered six bodies from the water on the afternoon of July 20 and transported them to the Charity wharf.
He also revealed difficulties during cooperation with international teams, telling the inquiry that language barriers prevented Guyanese personnel from conducting joint dives with French specialists.
The latest testimony is now placing greater focus on what rescuers had available during the critical first hours of the disaster and how communication, equipment and coordination affected efforts to locate those in the water.
