The Coast Guard Officer who spearheaded the first search and rescue operation from the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard Pomeroon Base, testified at the MV Barima Commission of Inquiry on Thursday that the first set of survivors were rescued just off the Essequibo Coast, even as the Coast Guard was dealing with changing coordinates and a malfunctioning Global Positioning System (GPS).

Petty Officer Deon Smith was among a number of Coast Guard Officers who appeared before the MV Barima Commission of Inquiry (COI) at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Thursday.

Smith testified that at approximately 11 pm on July 18, 2026, he received a text message from the Duty Officer at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Georgetown informing him that a vessel was in distress.

Smith was based at the GDF Coast Guard Pomeroon Base and the time, and he said he was instructed to have a team on standby for search and rescue efforts.

However, the Commission of Inquiry heard that it was not until 11:40 pm, almost an hour after the initial distress alert was received by the Coast Guard Headquarters, that Smith and his team were instructed to investigate the distress report.

Petty Officer Smith told the Commission that even as his team proceeded to the location of the first coordinates using a metal shark boat with two 250 horse power engines, they began receiving multiple coordinates forcing them to change course.

“After 11:40 pm we proceeded out in a calm and save manner because the place was dark. So, we head out. We then start receiving some coordinates from different agencies, different persons in high authority to locate the distress. So, while we keep punching in different coordinates we start going back and forth. Because if you put in one coordinate, then somebody else send different coordinate, we have to start over with that coordinate. So, we end up like a back and forth,” the Petty Officer explained.

The Commission heard that the team resorted to using their cell phones to input the coordinates as the GPS on the Coat Guard boat was malfunctioning at the time.

Smith could not the time of his team’s arrival at the disaster site, but an earlier witness, Lieutenant Coast Guard Rolwyn Heywood, who was the Duty Officer at GDF Coast Guard Headquarters, testified that the team from the Pomeroon Base had arrived at the site at around 01:00hrs on July 19.

At the location, Smith said they first saw debris, and then came the cries for help.

“We started seeing boxes. So, we started heading in that direction where the objects were coming from and while we were heading in that direction, we started hearing persons shouting help, over here. So, we ended up proceeding in that general direction of the voices,” Smith testified.

Smith did not specify the number of survivors who were rescued at that time, but said a number of other persons were rescued subsequently by the team.

“We bring them aboard of our vessel as we continue hearing more voices, we went ahead and bring them on board. And while we were doing that the other boat from town came and join in the rescue,” he said.

He recalled that many of the survivors appeared to be in a different state of mind during their rescue, with some of them trembling badly.

Those survivors were handed over to a vessel that was being operated by the Maritime Administration Department as the sun came up.

Smith testified that he remained offshore for all of Sunday 19th July 2026, rescuing survivors.

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