Latest update October 9th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 24, 2014 News
– Unable to contact Captain and crew
The owners of the MV Stollie 1, which was reported to have sunk 45 miles off the Waini River mouth with $80M worth of cargo, are harbouring deep suspicions that all may not be as was reported.
The owners are basing their suspicions on the discovery of items that were supposed to have gone down with the boat, in the possession of several persons on the Essequibo Coast…and the fact that neither the captain nor any of his crew has contacted them since the mishap occurred.
In fact checks at the captain’s home were to no avail, although he has reportedly given a statement to the maritime administration in Georgetown, which has since launched an investigation.
Brian Gilbert, acting on behalf of the vessel’s owner, visited this newspaper yesterday to shed light on his suspicions, since those who suffered significant losses as a result of the alleged tragedy, have been clamouring for a proper explanation.
“The Captain is not reporting, he’s not coming,” Gilbert said.
The vessel left Port Georgetown last Friday for the 18-hour journey to the North West District and according to reports, it capsized on Saturday. The captain and crew were reportedly rescued by a passing fishing boat.
But Gilbert and his boss are not buying that story in its entirety.
“That’s what we hear (that the boat sink). But we ain’t hear from de Captain heself, is just what he tell people,” Gilbert told this newspaper.
He gave the captain’s name as Rondell Reid, of Essequibo Coast, who has been working on the vessel for a little over two years. The two other crew members are reportedly relatives of the Captain. “We try contacting them. We go to dey house with police and we ain’t see dem neither. And if so be the case, why dey hiding? Why dem ain’t coming?”
This newspaper has also been trying to contact the vessel’s captain since Monday, but without success.
Several persons who lost cargo are also demanding the whereabouts of the captain and his crew.
There were reports that items were seen floating in an area in the Atlantic where the vessel was reported to have sunk.
Several other theories are floating around in Gilbert’s mind; one is that the captain discharged some of the cargo into another vessel before the MV Stollie 1 sank.
“We ain’t know whey part de boat deh. We want to go whey part de boat sink,” Gilbert declared.
He said that he later learnt that the police at Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast had seized some items from another vessel that they suspected were smuggled.
However, Gilbert said that they were later able to identify the items and those that were packed on the MV Stollie 1 before it set sail from port Georgetown.
“Things that were supposed to be at de bottom of de sea were up top at de police station,” Gilbert told Kaieteur News.
He added that some other items were reportedly disposed of on land before the police could have intercepted them.
“Things like big truck tyres and dem kinda thing. Hose and dem thing that suppose to be going down under de sea if de boat did sink. He claim dat de boat gone down with everything and still you finding people gat dese things. You gat full gas bottle dat de tie up wha supposed to go down, and still you locate these things,” Gilbert stated.
Kaieteur News was reliably informed that on Sunday night the police intercepted a vehicle that was transporting the fishing boat crew which had reportedly rescued Captain Reid and his crew.
They had in their possession several brand new tarpaulins, several pails of oil, a huge truck tyre and a bag with several pairs of brand new shoes, all items that were later identified as some of the things that were destined for the North West District.
This newspaper was eventually able to contact the captain of the MV Stollie 1 last evening via telephone.
He claimed that after he was rescued and brought ashore on Sunday night, he travelled to the city the following morning where he reported the matter to the Maritime Administration Department and the police at the E&F Headquarters, Eve Leary, where he gave statements.
He explained that his cellular phone sank with the vessel, but he subsequently managed to contact a man who is closely associated with the boat’s operations and told him what had happened.
“De boat sink with all we clothes. Is we bare brief we come off with,” the Captain said.
He said that he is willing to take the owners of the boat to the location where it sank but he cautioned that that would be very difficult since the vessel’s Global positioning system (GPS) went down with it also.
“I really don’t talk to de owner. I only talk to he about three times on phone, that is why I contact the other man,” Captain Reid said.
“I was with the police and maritime all the time and none of them turned up to see me,” he added.
October 1st turn off your lights to bring about a change!
Oct 09, 2024
IPF World Masters and Commonwealth PF Championships 2024 Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s has once again kept the Golden Arrowhead aloft with another classical performance at the International...Kaieteur News – There is always the hope that Guyanese would help Guyana turn the corner. The challenge is that some... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]