‘69 rescued, 71 bodies recovered’ - Coast Guard commander details chaos and communication blackout during MV Barima search operations

(Kaieteur News) – A dead Starlink battery plunged Coast Guard rescuers into a communications blackout as they battled pitch-black conditions and rough seas during the desperate search for survivors of the MV Barima sinking off the Essequibo Coast, the presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) heard on Friday.

Midshipman Rahul Ramsarup, officer commanding the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard floating base in the Pomeroon, testified about the logistical challenges and dangerous conditions that confronted rescuers during the overnight operation.

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According to Ramsarup’s witness statement and oral testimony, admitted into evidence as exhibits RR1, RR2 and RR3, the floating base received a WhatsApp message from Lieutenant Rolwyn Haywood at 10:59 p.m. on July 18, 2026. Maritime distress coordinates followed at 11:07 p.m., identifying the suspected sinking area off the Essequibo Coast near Anna Regina.