One week after a 66-year-old Venezuelan diver drowned during the ongoing operations to salvage the MV Barima ferry, the Maritime Administration Department is silent on the death and has not indicated whether it has launched any probe of the incident.
News Source understands that senior officials of the Maritime Administration Department only became aware of the diver’s death when media reports surfaced four days after the incident.
The diver, Luis Martinez, was attached to the BK International company, which secured a more than $1 Billion contract to salvage the vessel offshore Essequibo.
In a statement yesterday, the BK company reported that the Venezuelan diver had pre-existing medical conditions and suffered a heart attack during his dive in the Atlantic. The Guyana Police Force is still to release the findings of the post-mortem examination which was conducted on the man’s body. However, the BK company has already stated that it is making provisions for the man’s remains to be taken back to Venezuela.
The incident reportedly took place last Wednesday evening at around 6:30pm. Martinez was part of the diving operations at the site of the MV Barima sinking. It was reported that after the man did not return to surface 20 minutes after he began his evening dive, he was pulled up by the rope attached to his body.
The body was motionless and he was transferred to the Transport and Harbours Department Wharf at Kingston, where an ambulance service was summoned. The man was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty on Thursday morning at around 2:30am.
Details of the ferry salvaging operation have not been released, and it is unclear what led to the evening dive by the 66-year-old as part of the operations.
The MV Barima sank off the Essequibo Coast on the 18th July, claiming the lives of over 100 persons. The remains of more than 30 persons are still to be recovered.
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