The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard reported that 26 persons had been saved hours after the MV Barima tragedy, an Aeronautical Information Service officer told the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Wednesday.
Saskia Trapp, the third witness to testify before the Commission, said she received the message from the GDF Coast Guard at 5:30 am on July 19, while the search-and-rescue operation was still ongoing.
“At 5:30am the feedback was please be informed that GDF 1034 is at the search and rescue location after saving 26 persons, search is still ongoing,” she said as she read the message to the Commission.
Trapp, who has been an Aeronautical Information Service officer for one year, said she was expected to record the message as feedback from the Coast Guard.
She testified that she took over the shift from Tia Valenzuela, who had earlier told the Commission that she received the first distress alert and relayed it to the Coast Guard within nine minutes. The Coast Guard responded a minute later.
Trapp said the first message she received after starting her shift was at 11:53 pm on July 18. She continued receiving messages and sending coordinates to the Coast Guard during the operation.
She told the Commission that the last distress alert she received came in during the early hours of July 19.
“2:30 is the last time I received any distress alert….there wasn’t any after,” she said.
At around 7:00 am, Trapp said she requested the actual coordinates of the Coast Guard’s location. After the information was not provided, she called at 7:14 am and was told that the search was still ongoing and a report would be provided once it was completed.
Her shift ended at 8:00 am on July 19 but she said she had not received the coordinates by then.
The Commission also heard that the emergency beacon aboard the MV Barima was not registered, meaning there was no owner information available to facilitate emergency contact.
In response to questions from Commissioner, Dr Andrzej Jasionowski, Trapp explained that the beacon could activate when it came into contact with water.
“It means water would have touched that beacon,” she said.
However, she noted that the beacon could also activate because of a malfunction or through manual activation such as during testing.
During the hearing, the Commission requested the roster of staff on duty, at least for July 2026. Defence counsel Arud Gossia agreed to provide it.
More than 100 witnesses are expected to give evidence before the five-member inquiry being chaired by Justice Gregory Smith.
Public hearings into the COI continues on Thursday.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
