Operating out of an office on the top floor of the Marriott Hotel, the Light House Department tried multiple times to contact the MV Barima Ferry, after receiving a distress message alert from the Timehri Control Tower that a vessel was in distress.

Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Light House Operator, David Chisholm, who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) today, explained that he was on duty on July 18, 2026 when he received a distress message alert from the Timehri Control Tower at 11:01pm indicating that a maritime vessel was in distress.

Chisholm told the Commission that he immediately sent that distress message alert to the Chief Pilot and the Director of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Captain John Flores.

The Commission would then hear that around mid-night, Chisholm received a call from the Harbour Master instructing him to make contract with MV Barima. Using a VHF Marine Radio, the Light House Operator switched to Channel 16, and tried repeatedly to contact the MV Barima Ferry but got no response.

“I kept trying, and trying and trying. No Response,” Chisholm told the Commission.

He testified that the Harbour Master was informed that no contact was made with the MV Barima Ferry, even as he kept trying to make contract with the vessel.

The first distress alert was received by the Timehri Control Tower at around 10:43 pm on July 18, 2026.

Chisholm started working at the Light House Department in 2025. He said since then he has been working out of the office located at Marriott, and was not certain whether or not the Georgetown Light House located on Water Street, Kingston was in operation. At the time, he was responding to questions posed by the Commission.

Do Not Share

Another witness, Shemar Morrison, who is a Pilot Trainee at MARAD, and who assisted with the Rescue and Rescue Operations, told the Commission that the Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill had instructed that photos of the tragedy should not be shared.

Morrison explained that during a briefing exercise at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Kingston, the Search and Rescue teams were provided with coordinates even as they were briefed on the situation. Morrison said it was during that briefing exercise that Minister Edghill instructed that photos should not be shared.

“He said focus on what you are doing and try not to release any pictures because we don’t want to create any stir in the media,” Morrison recalled.

During the rescue operations, Morrison was deployed using one of the two pilot vessels – the Haiama.

He said during the operations, a number of persons were rescued including the captain and the first mate, adding that they were provided with first aid treatment.

As a personnel certified in First Aid and Medical Care, Morrison said he knew that having been exposed to a large body of water for an extensive period, those rescued were at risk of hyperthermia and as such, blankets were provided.

However, he said there were not enough blankets for everyone, and so the heater on the vessel was switched on at a moderate level to keep the survivors warm.

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