By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
KUMAKA WATERFRONT, MABARUMA, REGION ONE — Taking their fact-finding mission directly into the heart of Guyana’s most heavily affected hinterland communities, members of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the MV Barima disaster convened an emotional community consultation at the Kumaka Waterfront in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), on Monday, October 12, 2026.
The hinterland outreach allowed local survivors, bereaved relatives, and community elders to personally recount the terrifying moments of the July 18, 2026 sinking—widely recognized as the deadliest maritime catastrophe in modern Guyanese history.
Following earlier procedural sessions in the capital, the Mabaruma engagement provided commissioners with direct accounts of the nighttime capsizing, illuminating the frantic scramble for life-saving gear, the harrowing struggles of parents trying to keep their children afloat in pitch darkness, and the deep grief still gripping indigenous riverain settlements.
Screams in the Dark: Survivors Recount the Scramble for Life Jackets
Standing before the five-member commission along the Kumaka shoreline, survivors described the chaotic atmosphere aboard the vessel as water flooded the deck:
- Snatching Flotation Gear: One survivor described emerging from the lower compartments into sudden panic, shouting, and confusion, managing to seize a single life jacket before the vessel went under.
- Fighting to Save Children: Another survivor shared the harrowing reality of attempting to protect her children while being thrown into the open Atlantic, desperately clinging to the overturned hull to prevent them from being pulled under by the current.
“When I come out deh I hear hollering. All I could have snatch is a life jacket… He wah saved me,” one survivor testified.
“By time I grab me children I was in the water… hold them on the boat,” another female survivor recounted.
The Emotional Toll Across Barima-Waini
The sinking of the state-operated ferry dealt a devastating blow to indigenous families across Region One, who have long relied on the government vessel as their primary economic lifeline for passengers, farm produce, and cargo:
- Grief Across Riverain Settlements: Entire family units and breadwinners were lost in the disaster, leaving surviving relatives grappling with trauma, unanswered questions, and significant economic strain.
- Demand for Answers: Families stressed that the inquiry must look beyond mechanical failures to evaluate the emergency search-and-rescue response, regulatory oversight, and why safety equipment was difficult to access during the critical moments of the capsize.
In Search of Institutional Accountability and Reform
The Commission reiterated to the community that these grassroots consultations are vital for reconstructing what transpired aboard the vessel and identifying systemic failures:
- Informing Structural Overhaul: The Commission’s final determinations are intended to produce actionable recommendations to overhaul safety compliance, dry-dock maintenance, and passenger oversight for state vessels servicing riverain and coastal corridors.
- Preventing Recurrence: Community members emphasized that the true benchmark of the inquiry will be whether its findings deliver accountability and concrete safety measures to prevent another maritime tragedy.
Following the conclusion of the Mabaruma engagement, the Commissioners will travel to Port Kaituma on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to inspect regional wharves and meet with survivors, families of the deceased, and relatives of passengers who remain officially unaccounted for. Formal public evidentiary hearings will commence the following day, Wednesday, October 14, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal.
