The MV Barima Commission of Inquiry public hearings restarted this morning with fisherman, Haresh Singh appearing before the Commission to recount his search and rescue and recovery efforts following the MV Barima ferry tragedy back in July.

Singh recounted the moment he rescued 11 survivors under the cover of darkness out in the Atlantic Ocean, and his subsequent efforts to locate more survivors and the sunken vessel following the tragic incident.

The 51-year-old fisherman testified that he was at home on July 18, 2026 when he received two phone calls – one from the Region Two Regional Chairman, Devin Mohan and another from the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Madanlall Ramraj – close to midnight, indicating that the MV Barima sank just off the Essequibo Coast in the vicinity of Devonshire Castle, and help was needed. A fisherman for approximately 40 years, Singh is familiar with the area.

Shortly after midnight, Singh, his brother, sister-in-law and two police officers departed from the koker at Hampton Court in search of survivors. He told the Commission that it was around 3am on July 19, 2026, when the crew saw two flares before spotting a number of survivors in a raft out in the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Somerset.

“We drive and we went. When we gone there, we checked the first raft, it was empty. We checked the second raft, it was empty, the third raft was empty. The fourth raft we get 11 persons inside and we rescued them,” he recalled.

The survivors included men, women and children.

It was not long after that, Singh and the others came into contact with a Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard vessel. However, instead of receiving the survivors, the Coast Guard instructed Singh and his crew to take the survivors to safety.

Singh told the Commission that he had hoped to continue his search and rescue efforts that morning, but due to the ill health of the survivors, he took them to Hampton Court, where emergency personnel were waiting along with ambulances. Singh had coordinated with the regional authorities.

The Commission heard that after hours of combing the Atlantic Ocean, just off the Essequibo Coast on Monday, July 20, he located the sunken vessel using his expertise.

“I see thing like perfume and different, different things float up. Then I see a bag pop up from under the water with a lifejacket. Then I tell he, it was right here between Dartmouth to Better Success,” he recalled.

According to him, it was 15 miles from shore. The GDF Coast Guard was immediately notified of the location, Singh said, and within hours, a number of bodies surfaced in the area.

The Commission heard that Singh, in the company of the Coast Guard, led a team to the location days later where attempts were made to pull the MV Barima to shore, however, those attempts were unsuccessful.

“The next day we gone out with the coast guard to tie it and pull it to shore but every time they tie it and pull it to shore the cable burst or rip out,” he said.

According to fisherman, many of the boats, small ships and pontoons that sank in the area and were left there as wreckage, never to be retrieved.

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