MV Barima Inquiry Examines GDF Response, Six Aircraft Deployed After Disaster
October 18, 2026
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The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) deployed six aircraft during the response to the sinking of the MV Barima, but testimony before the Commission of Inquiry has raised questions about the timing of aerial operations, the reliability of flight records and what the searches actually achieved in the days following the disaster.
Captain Simon Gordon, a flight operations officer with the GDF Air Corps, testified on Friday that six aircraft were used between July 19 and 31, 2026. He said the Bell 407 was the only helicopter available for deployment on July 19, when the military began its aerial response.
The helicopter transported drone operators to Hampton Court before conducting coastal reconnaissance.
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