A massive search-and-rescue operation is underway after a ferry sank off the coast of Guyana late on Saturday, in what officials describe as one of the country's worst maritime disasters. Authorities have launched a criminal investigation after the captain and a crew member allegedly tested positive for marijuana and the vessel's passenger manifest was found to be inaccurate.
Two confirmed dead, dozens missing
Two people have been confirmed dead. Authorities initially said there were 116 passengers and 17 crew members on board, as stated on the ship's manifest. However, Juan Edghill, Guyana's minister of public works, told reporters at a press conference on Sunday that the manifest was wrong: only 35 of the 67 people rescued so far were on the passenger list.
The captain and the first engineer, both of whom allegedly tested positive for cannabis, are in police custody. “I am outraged. We are talking about operational breaches; people will be dealt with,” Edghill said.
Ferry's journey and distress call
The ferry MV Barima left Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, on Saturday at about 3:15 p.m. for Port Kaituma in the Essequibo region. A distress call was received shortly after 11 p.m., prompting an emergency response involving the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and Air Corps, private aircraft, fishing vessels, and civilian volunteers.
Edghill previously stated that the MV Barima was certified to carry 397 passengers and 284 tonnes of cargo, equipped with 250 lifejackets, two lifeboats, and six inflatable rafts.
Prime minister calls manifest inaccuracy 'deeply concerning'
Prime Minister Mark Phillips described the incorrect manifest as “deeply concerning and shocking.” He announced an urgent investigation involving the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Maritime Administration Department, and other technical maritime experts. “Let me be absolutely clear: where negligence, misconduct, or criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law,” Phillips said.
Search area expanded
The search area was expanded from 400 sq km to 1,070 sq km, with additional aircraft and vessels deployed alongside local fisherfolk.
Survivor accounts
Survivors recounted the moments when the ferry overturned. Adam Matabheek, travelling with his wife, brother, sister-in-law, and three young nieces and nephews, noticed the vessel leaning hours before it capsized. “We dismissed it as rough water and went to sleep,” he said. When the vessel rolled over, he ended up in the water, grabbed a lifejacket, and drifted through the night.
His wife, Carlita Matabheek, who cannot swim, became trapped inside the overturned vessel before a lifejacket fell within reach. “I started to pray,” she said. After calling for her husband, she felt someone tugging her hair—it was Adam. The couple and Adam's younger brother Nathaniel spent the night drifting until rescuers found them after daybreak. “God cleared the skies and saved us,” Carlita said.
Their relief was overshadowed by tragedy: Nathaniel's wife, Rachel Welch, and their three children—Nathaniel Jr., 8, Natalia, 5, and Ezekiel, 3—remain missing. According to the family, Rachel was thrown from her hammock as the ferry capsized and tried desperately to reach her children before they disappeared into the water.
Another survivor, Loureen Singh, a trader who regularly travels to Port Kaituma, survived by holding on to the same lifejacket as Carlita. Carlita urged her: “Hold on to me.” The two women remained together throughout the night until rescued.
International assistance offered
Guyana's international and regional partners have offered assistance in the search and rescue.
