Grief, Skepticism, and Outrage Fill ACCC as MV Barima Survivors Recount Chilling Moments of Capsizing

By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |

LILIENDAAL, EAST COAST DEMERARA — A deep and pervasive mistrust in state-led inquiries swept through the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Wednesday as survivors and bereaved relatives of the MV Barima disaster confronted commissioners, demanding to know whether the tribunal can deliver genuine legal accountability or merely serve as another procedural buffer for state negligence.

The closed-door preliminary engagement, organized ahead of formal public hearings, quickly shifted into a series of harrowing eyewitness accounts detailing the terrifying moments of the July 18, 2026 sinking off the Essequibo Coast.

Speakers repeatedly pointed to critical institutional failures, chronic overcrowding, inaccessible life jackets, mechanical negligence, and last-minute cargo overloading as the direct causes of one of the deadliest maritime catastrophes in modern Guyanese history.

Chilling Eyewitness Accounts: Clinging to Cargo in the Dark

The emotional core of Wednesday’s consultation centered on raw testimonies from those who fought for survival when the vessel overturned in open water:

• Samantha Ramit’s Tragic Loss: Survivor Samantha Ramit, who boarded the ferry accompanied by eight of her grandchildren, recounted how four of the children survived while four tragically drowned—including an infant whose remains have never been recovered.
• Inaccessible Safety Gear: Ramit told commissioners that life-saving flotation equipment was completely inaccessible to passengers seated in the central compartments of the vessel, leaving parents and guardians powerless as water engulfed the deck.
• Clinging to Floating Debris: Unable to swim, Ramit survived only by kicking frantically toward the surface and grabbing onto a floating cargo crate in the darkness.

“I couldn’t swim, but I just keep pulling up, pulling up in my hand, I’m kicking and I reach up to the surface and there was a box,” Ramit recounted through tears.

“I placed the hand from the box… when I watch as this lady will pull up, it’s a lady. I ask her one question, I say, ‘You got strength?’”

Mechanical Compromise and Last-Minute Cargo Overloading

Another male survivor provided technical details regarding the ferry’s operational condition before it capsized, alleging that the vessel was dangerously compromised before leaving port:

• Operating on a Single Engine: The survivor revealed to the panel that the ferry was operating on only one functional engine, which lacked the propulsion required to maneuver out of danger once water entered the hull. Once flooding began, he stated, the underpowered vessel became an unavoidable “arm of death.”
• The Last-Minute Generator Burden: The witness condemned the decision by port operators to load two heavy industrial standby generators onto the vessel just prior to departure, noting that the equipment was forced onto a boat already weighed down to capacity, creating an imminent catastrophe.
• Salvage Delays: Jasmine Cort, who lost both her father and uncle—the operators of the ship’s canteen—directly pressed the Commission on why the wreckage remains on the ocean floor 82 days post-sinking, questioning whether the panel will address the ongoing delays in raising the hull.

Outrage Over Relief Efforts: The G$20,000 Insult

Families also criticized the state’s post-disaster welfare response, calling the relief packages negligible compared to the loss of their primary providers:

• Inadequate Financial Aid: One widow testified that a state social worker visited her home and offered a one-off stipend of $20,000 (GYD). “My husband was my breadwinner. What can $20,000 do for me now? Who will pay my bills? Guyanese don’t get justice. Everything just disappears,” she told the panel.
• Hinterland Families Devastated: Dolly Cox, whose deceased father served as the sole outboard marine engine mechanic in Port Kaituma, expressed anger over unfulfilled administrative pledges. Cox testified that her sickly mother was forced to seek manual employment, while four of her school-aged siblings have been unable to attend classes regularly following the loss of their household’s financial support.

Legal Hurdles: Commission Explains Limits on Imprisoned Witnesses

Responding to the frustration and lack of confidence voiced by the room, Chairman of the Commission Justice Godfrey P. Smith explained the constitutional boundaries governing the tribunal:

• Privilege Against Self-Incrimination: Justice Smith clarified that because criminal charges have already been instituted against key individuals involved in the incident, standard constitutional safeguards against self-incrimination prevent the Commission from compelling those incarcerated ranks to deliver oral evidence during the inquiry.
• Commitment to Uncovering Systemic Faults: Despite the inability to compel charged figures to testify orally, the five-member commission assured families that it remains focused on auditing documentary records, administrative maintenance logs, and regulatory oversight systems to identify institutional liability.

Public evidentiary hearings are scheduled to formally commence on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.