A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched off the coast of Guyana late Saturday night after the passenger ferry MV Barima began to sink. The vessel, which was traveling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, issued a distress call at approximately 11 pm. According to officials, at least 53 people have been successfully rescued thus far.
Guyana’s coast guard responded to the emergency alert immediately, working in coordination with various private vessels to locate and recover those on board. Prime Minister Mark Phillips told AFP that the search and rescue operation would continue in the daylight and that he expected the number of rescued people to go up. He shared an update and photos of the rescue operation on Facebook.
Government minister Juan Edghill, who said in a video posted on Facebook that medical teams had been sent to the area to care for survivors brought ashore by the coast guard and other rescue vessels, also noted that the ferry was equipped with 250 life jackets, six inflatable life rafts, and two rigid life rafts.
The MV Barima is a 40-metre-long vessel built in 1939, according to data from the maritime tracking site VesselFinder. The ferry serves as a vital transport link for communities in the North West District of Guyana, regularly moving both cargo and passengers between Georgetown and Port Kaituma.
