Single-engine GDF chopper barred from reaching MV Barima disaster site

(Kaieteur News) – The Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the MV Barima tragedy heard testimony on Thursday detailing how safety regulations and mechanical limitations prevented a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) helicopter from reaching the immediate search area during the crucial early hours following the vessel’s distress call.

Testifying before the Commission, GDF Air Corps pilots revealed that the GDF Bell 407 helicopter, the second aircraft dispatched from Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle following reports of the disaster, was restricted to inland and coastal surveillance due to its single-engine configuration.

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Chief Pilot Lieutenant Colonel Anson Weekes of the GDF Air Corps, provided a detailed timeline of the military’s response. He testified that just after midnight on Sunday, July 19, 2026, he was alerted to distress reports regarding the MV Barima by Lieutenant Joslyn Assanah, Commanding Officer of the Air Corps.