Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill
Now that investigations have revealed that Damon was using a fraudulent license, Edghill said that more questions have arisen.
“So I would want to have a look at all different angles verifying what happened at sea on that fateful day,” the Public Works Minister said.
Family members have been holding out hope for the safe return of the men.
Because of the time that has elapsed, however, Edghill also said the Maritime Department (MARAD) has now switched to a search and recovery mission– scouring the mangroves along Guyana’s coastline with hopes of finding the bodies of the missing men.
“We have the divers out searching, checking the beaches to see if we have any bodies floating up,” he explained.
He also noted that the search has been widened beyond the initial point where the men reportedly went missing.
“So even though they have satellite images of where the vessel was last seen, we are searching far and wide because the families need closure,” Edghill contended.
The minister said too that intelligence agencies have been brought in as the scope of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) expands to find out exactly what went wrong.
Dazzell was the only crew member who managed to escape the sinking fishing vessel on February 19. Based on a recount given by Dazzell, the boat was becoming inundated and Captain Damon radioed the company for assistance.
After the vessel capsized, Dazzell managed to escape. He, however, stated that the other crew members appeared to be trapped under the vessel and could not be saved.
Expected distress signals, MARAD’s Director-General Stephen Thomas said previously, were not issued and it is unclear why Noble House Seafoods did not immediately report that the men were in distress when they radioed for assistance.
