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Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill engaging family members of the missing fishermen (Photo: DPI/ March 21, 2022)
“MARAD has assured me that the sonar equipment which scans the river bed, was damaged during the search. As soon as we could get the parts, we will do a scanning of the sea bed again once we get that fixed.”
While there are many unanswered questions, the Minister said he is saddened that the search has to be suspended until any new information surfaces. The Minister said he wants the families to be assured that government has done everything possible to bring the matter to a close.
He also highlighted to the families that there has never been a search for missing persons as extensive and within such a long period, as the search for the three missing fishermen.
“Some people felt that I would have suspended the search after a couple of days and you are not seeing anything floating but I know that there are human beings with real emotions that are looking for answers and I would also want as a person in the discharge of my responsibility as the Minister responsible for the sector, to ensure that everything that was humanly possible, every resource that is available to the state and to the private sector was utilised to ensure that we get answers,” Minister Edghill stated.
The report stemming from the Board of Inquiry which was launched into the matter will be made available today, the Minister said. A copy of the report, he assured will be made available to the families of the missing fishermen.
“If you have any questions, concerns or any information that could help us at the end of reading that report, my office remains open and available to you for engagement,” he said.
The members of this Board of Inquiry are: Yulander Hughes from the Transport and Harbours Department, MARAD’s Captain John Flores, Ronald Charles from the Ministry of Public Works, Lt. Rawle Williams from the Coast Guard, Senior Superintendent Ewart Wray from the Guyana Police Force- Marine Unit, Dwayne Vhypius from the Ministry of Labour and Denzil Roberts, who is the Head of the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Agriculture. (DPI)
