‘Recipe for Disaster’: MV Barima Victims Questions Salvage Secrecy After Diver’s Death

By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — More than 100 days after the catastrophic MV Barima ferry sinking on July 18, 2026, which claimed more than 70 lives off the Essequibo Coast, grieving relatives and survivors continue to demand transparency, answers, and accountability from the Government of Guyana.

Among those leading the calls is Jasmine Cort, daughter of missing passenger Neil Cort and niece of Kenrick Cort, who has sharply questioned the secrecy surrounding the ongoing offshore salvage operation and the complete absence of official public updates regarding recovery efforts.

For months following the tragedy, affected families and civil society groups staged repeated protests outside the Office of the President, urging authorities to refloat the sunken vessel to recover trapped human remains and preserve critical forensic evidence. Although the administration eventually awarded a salvage contract to BK International, relatives say transparency never materialized—with no operational timeline, progress reports, or maritime safety advisories issued to the public.

‘We Had No Trust Nor Faith’: Families Kept in the Dark

Cort explained that the government’s failure to notify grieving families that recovery work had commenced deepened their anguish and eroded confidence in state institutions:

• Unannounced Operations: Relatives were never informed when mobilization began at the wreck site, learning of the active salvage only after a fatal accident occurred underwater.
• Erosion of Public Trust: Cort emphasized that withholding basic operational updates from families waiting more than three months to bury their loved ones demonstrated a disregard for those affected by the disaster.

“We had no trust nor faith in the Government of Guyana. They could not even say, ‘We have started salvage operations.’” — Jasmine Cort, Daughter and Niece of Missing Passengers Neil and Kenrick Cort

Diver’s Death Raises Urgent Safety Questions for BK International

The true scope of the unannounced recovery effort only came to light after tragedy struck again at the wreck site, when Luis Martinez, a 66-year-old Venezuelan commercial diver attached to a subcontracting company, died during an evening dive:

• Condolences and Scrutiny: Extending sympathy to Martinez’s relatives, Cort questioned the operational judgment and safety protocols governing the underwater mission—specifically scrutinizing the decision to deploy a 66-year-old diver during evening hours.
• Operational Judgment Questioned: Cort challenged BK International and its subcontractors to explain the safety standards applied at the submerged wreck, describing the conditions surrounding the fatality as a “recipe of disaster” lacking basic common sense.

“A 66-year-old man would have died diving down to that wreck. Condolences to him and his family… Now BK, take sense out of nonsense—why would you… recipe of disaster and common sense…” — Jasmine Cort

Maritime Law Expert Warns of Loss of Public Faith

The diver’s death has intensified broader scrutiny over communication protocols, worker safety, and regulatory oversight at the offshore site:

• Erosion of State Credibility: Speaking on condition of anonymity, an attorney versed in international maritime law noted that the state’s handling of the salvage—characterized by a lack of public notices and safety advisories—has caused society to lose faith in official institutions.
• Ongoing Demands for Accountability: Families of the missing maintain that full disclosure of the salvage timeline, safety audits, and recovery procedures is essential both to honor those lost aboard the MV Barima and to prevent further loss of life during the extraction process.