Coast Guard Commander peppered with questions on MV Barima search and rescue operations and post-incident report

A post Search-and-Rescue (SAR) incident report on the MV Barima ferry tragedy is among a number of documents that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (COI) has asked the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard to hand over to assist in its investigations.

The request was submitted today as the Commission grilled the Commanding Officer of the GDF Coast Guard, Commander David Shamsudeen on the Coast Guard’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Search and Rescue, as well as training in the area of Search and Rescue.

It was Commissioner Andrzej Jasionowski, who inquired from Commander Shamsudeen whether the Coast Guard had done post operations debrief in accordance with the SOPs.

In response, Commander Shamsudeen explained that debriefs were done, but the Coast Guard was unable to execute the 24-hour post operation debriefs as mandated.

He explained that a comprehensive report, which included logs and the post SAR incident report, was compiled and submitted to the GDF Headquarters.

“Reports with recommendations and challenges were submitted to Defence Headquarters,” the Coast Guard Head told the Commission.

Commissioner Jasionowski requested a copy of the report, but the Coast Guard Head indicated that he would have to be advised on the matter.

But the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Godfrey Smith, pressed Commander Shamsudeen on the matter.

“Do you think that for a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to look comprehensively into how and why the Barima capsized and sank, that that post SAR incident report touching on the Barima would be helpful to the commission to discharge its mandate?” Justice Smith asked.

Commander Shamsudeen told the Commission that his “comprehensive report” was based on the search and rescue operation, and does not address the “how” and “why” the MV Barima tragedy occurred.

But the Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry told Commander Shamsudeen that his response was unsatisfactory, as he pressed him even more on the matter.

“Yes but I am afraid that is not a satisfactory answer. We have to prepare a report based on the mandate we have been given for this Presidential Commission of Inquiry, the report has to be comprehensive, it has to be thorough. It has to be able to withstand national regional and international scrutiny. So, speaking for myself as a lay person, I am very concern that when I participate [and] contribute to the preparing of this report, if there is a post SAR incident report, it is one of the first things I must look at. I would think to get to the basic facts which I imagine would have been shortly after the incident and so the question is, don’t you think it would be helpful for us to get a copy?” the Chairman further enquired.

With Counsel for the GDF Major Melissa Yearwood-Stewart and Major Kevin Moore at his side, Commander Shamsudeen said while he understands the importance of the Commission fulfilling its mandate, he remains grounded in his position that the work of the Coast Guard was directed as Maritime Search and Rescue Operations.

Copies of the minutes of two comprehensive after-action reviews that Commander Shamsudeen said were done at the level of the Defence Force and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) were also requested.

Meanwhile, in response to a series of questions posed by Commissioner Hayden Pritchard, Commander Shamsudeen told the Commission of Inquiry that the Coast Guard’s SOP was compiled in keeping with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

While Commander Shamsudeen has been at the helm of the Coast Guard for three years, he admitted that the SOP was not updated.

“During my tenure there has not been any updates, so I can’t speak to that,” he told the Commission.

Limited Training and Experience

Commissioner Nyree Alfonso also expressed concern that a number of the Coast Guard Officers, who have appeared before the Commission appear to have had little to no formal training in search and rescue operations.

“Commander Shamsudeen, I have seen among your duties you have listed training, that you are in charge of training in the Coast Guard. So, in answer to several questions yesterday many of the officers, the Petty Officers including Petty Officer Smith indicated that they didn’t have search and rescue experience or either training or very little in terms of experience, and many of cases no training, minimal training,” Commissioner Alfonso pointed out.

But Commander Shamsudeen pushed back against that assertion, telling the Commission that the Coast Guard administers “some amount of training” through its training division, adding that search and rescue training forms part of it.

He added that the GDF Coast Guard benefits from training from the US, India, the UK and other partners including the Regional Security System (RSS). Coast Guard Officers, he said, also receive training overseas.

The Commission also heard the Coast Guard has also submitted a five-year Development Plan, which provides for training in the area of search and rescue.

The Coast Guard Commander was unable to indicate whether regular training exercises were conducted from 2024 to present.

He, however, confirmed that there were no joint search and rescue exercises done, telling the Commission that there was no need for such exercises.

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