“The Boat Was So Packed”: Wife Recounts Warning Signs Before M.V. Barima Sunk With Canteen Operator Husband and Brother-in-Law

By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News|

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — As Guyana grapples with the heartbreaking loss of life in the M.V. Barima disaster, families of those on board are coming forward with agonizing accounts of the final hours before the 87-year-old state-operated ferry set sail on its fatal voyage.

For years, Neil Cort made his living along Guyana’s waterways. After serving for years aboard the M.V. Kimbia, he became the primary canteen operator on the M.V. Barima, serving passengers on the long, grueling route between Georgetown and Port Kaituma. His brother, Kenrick Cort, routinely accompanied him to assist with managing the canteen.

Neil’s wife, Dianne Cort, regularly helped her husband restock canteen supplies, cleaned the deck, and occasionally prepared hot meals for travelers. Speaking out publicly in an emotional interview, Mrs. Cort recounted a series of troubling warnings, engine troubles, and severe overcrowding on board the day the ferry departed.

Mechanical Troubles and Overcrowding

According to Mrs. Cort, warning signs surfaced as soon as the vessel returned to Georgetown from its previous trip:

• Unaddressed Engine Failures: Mrs. Cort recalled that an engineer on board told her of serious engine issues. Her husband reportedly confirmed these findings.
• Ignored Reports to Officials: On the afternoon before the tragedy, a second engineer reportedly confided in her that the engine was still malfunctioning. He claimed the technical faults had been formally reported to senior management but were ignored.
• Active Repairs on a Loaded Ship: Mechanics were attempting repairs while cargo and passengers were already being loaded. A extra generator was brought onto the ship—adding to four generators already on board.
• Heavy Cargo Load: In addition to heavy goods, vehicles loaded with freight were crammed into the hold, alongside a deceased individual being transported to Region One for burial.

                       [ M.V. BARIMA PRE-DEPARTURE WARNING SIGNS ]
                                            │
       ┌────────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────┐
       ▼                                                                         ▼
 [ Technical & Mechanical Lapses ]                                       [ Cargo & Passenger Load ]
 - Unresolved engine glitches reported to management                      - Multiple heavy vehicles & generators loaded
 - Mechanics attempting repairs while fully loaded                        - Passenger decks overflowing with families
 - Auxiliary generators brought on board last-minute                      - Canteen stocked past capacity

“The boat was so packed,” Mrs. Cort recalled, describing the scene as she stepped off the ferry for what would be the last time. “When I looked back at all those people, all those young children and babies sitting on the deck, something just didn’t feel right. I felt compelled right there to say a prayer for everyone on that boat before it pulled away.”

A Devastating Call in the Dark

Hours later, shortly after 1:00 AM on Sunday, a phone call from a friend in Mabaruma brought the news that the M.V. Barima had capsized in rough seas off the Essequibo Coast.

Dianne Cort spent days waiting for official confirmation regarding the fate of the two men she had waved goodbye to at the stelling. Authorities later confirmed that both Neil Cort and his brother Kenrick Cort were among the victims recovered from the ocean.

Her account adds to a growing mountain of testimony from survivors and maritime workers describing severe systemic neglect, unheeded technical warnings, and unsafe loading practices prior to the worst maritime disaster in Guyana’s modern history.