Author: Kayleigh Carter

Family endures agonising wait as 22-year-old crew member remains missing after MV Barima tragedy

More than two weeks after the sinking of the MV Barima, the family of 22-year-old crew member Antoine Harcourt of Lichfield Village, West Coast Berbice, continues to wait for answers as he remains among those missing.

Harcourt was working aboard the vessel when it departed for Port Kaituma on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The vessel sank shortly before midnight, leaving several passengers and crew members dead, missing or injured.

Relatives said the last time they saw Harcourt was on the Thursday before the voyage, when he visited his family before returning to the East Coast.

As search and recovery efforts continue, his family is hoping his body will be recovered to allow them to bring him home and find some closure.

His 81-year-old grandmother, Brenda Harcourt, said the uncertainty surrounding his fate has been painful for the family.

“There is no news that he’s been found,” she told Ignite News. “Whether dead or alive, I would like to see him. If they would bring the body home for burial, you know.”

She said she wanted confirmation of his whereabouts, regardless of the outcome.

“I don’t think so. As far as I understand, I don’t think he’s alive. I would prefer that, whether he’s alive or whether he is dead, I would know that he’s been found,” she said.

Brenda described her grandson as loving and said they shared a close relationship.

“We had a very good relationship. Sometimes you would hear him pass through the yard, and he would shout, ‘Granny, what you doing?’ We had a good relationship,” she recalled.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has met with relatives of those still missing and assured them that the MV Barima would be salvaged. He outlined plans for the recovery operation, which is expected to assist families awaiting answers about their loved ones.

For the Harcourt family, the continued uncertainty has deepened their grief as they wait for news about Antoine and hope for an opportunity to bring him home.This version uses a Reuters-style structure: news lead first, fewer repeated descriptions, concise background, limited emotion while preserving the family’s human perspective, and the President’s role placed later in the story.

President Dr Irfaan Ali said on Monday that the government will begin work on the first phase of a road bypass along the West Coast Demerara corridor before the end of the year, aiming to ease traffic congestion and support rapid residential and commercial growth in Region Three.

Speaking at the launch of the Model Village programme in Leonora, Ali said the bypass would run from De Kinderen/Den Amstel to Uitvlugt and serve as an interim solution while work continues on the wider four-lane highway project.

“We are trying to put a bypass there that will help in the first phase… from Den Amstel all the way to Uitvlugt. And that is outside of the four-lane road,” the President said.

Ali said the bypass forms part of the government’s broader infrastructure strategy to improve connectivity as communities along the West Coast continue to expand.

He said improved transport links were essential to connecting residents with schools, workplaces, markets, businesses and other essential services, while creating new economic opportunities.

“Our people should be able to move efficiently from their homes to schools, workplaces, markets and services. A well-connected village is a village that is not isolated from opportunity,” he said.

The President said infrastructure development must keep pace with population growth and the expansion of housing schemes and commercial activity across Region Three.

The bypass will complement other major road projects, including the Schoonord-to-Crane four-lane highway, which is part of the government’s wider plan to modernise transportation infrastructure along the West Coast Demerara corridor.

The Commission of Inquiry into the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima will recommend appropriate accountability where warranted, according to the gazetted Terms of Reference published in The Official Gazette.

The commission’s object is to conduct a thorough, independent and comprehensive public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, establish the full sequence of events, determine causes, and recommend accountability and reforms to prevent recurrence, The Official Gazette said.

Its purpose includes examining the vessel’s seaworthiness, ownership, maintenance and management, passenger boarding and manifest procedures, cargo loading, and the search, rescue and recovery response, according to The Official Gazette.

The commission will also determine whether any negligence, misconduct or institutional failure by any individual or entity contributed to the casualty, and recommend referral to the appropriate authority where warranted.

The inquiry’s scope spans 14 areas, including the vessel’s particulars and seaworthiness, navigation and weather conditions, machinery and technical systems, human factors, emergency preparedness, regulatory oversight, and any previous or concurrent inspections and reports, The Official Gazette said.

Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize chairs the commission. The other commissioners are Captain Hamada Fouda, Ms Nyree Dawn Alfonso, Dr Andrzej Jasionowski and Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard, according to The Official Gazette.

Attorney Javed Khomeini Shadick has been appointed Secretary of the commission, tasked with attending its sittings, recording proceedings, keeping papers and summoning witnesses, The Official Gazette said.

The commission must submit its findings, report and recommendations to the President in writing within two months of its issuance, or within such other time as directed, and may issue interim reports where urgent recommendations are warranted, according to The Official Gazette.

A Safety and Compliance Audit Team has been established to undertake a comprehensive review of safety and compliance standards governing marine vessels operating in Guyana, as part of government’s continuing response to prevent future tragedies.

The decision follows the sinking of the MV Barima, which claimed 73 lives with 30 people still missing.
Following the tragedy, opposition members had called for a similar undertaking to the one now announced by the President.

President Dr Irfaan Ali said the team would examine compliance with maritime safety requirements and make recommendations to strengthen oversight, improve enforcement and ensure vessels, operators and regulatory systems meet the highest practicable standards of safety and accountability.

The team comprises former MARAD Director-General Dr Ivor English, Colonel Julius Skeete from the GDF, and Marine Officer and Surveyor of Ships Captain Joseph Lewis.

Ali said the three bring a wealth of technical expertise, practical experience and knowledge in marine administration, maritime operations and ship inspection and surveying to the task.

A body initially believed to be that of missing sailor Raymond Somra was found not to match him after further verification, leaving his family once again without answers more than a week after the sinking of the MV Barima on July 18.

The family later found some reassurance in a commitment on Wednesday, during a government meeting led by President Dr Irfaan Ali, with the affected families, that the vessel would not be abandoned and that a salvage operation would proceed.

Somra, 57, also known as “Uncle Blacks,” of Islington, East Bank Berbice, was among the passengers and crew caught up in the disaster.

His uncle, Pooran Grant, recalled the emotional toll of the false identification.
“I don’t know who gave us the call that they found him. Even I was telling my family that we found him,” Grant said. “But when I got to understand, one of my great-nephews went and when they turned the body that he suspected was Raymond, that person had a tattoo, and Raymond doesn’t have a tattoo,” he added.

Grant said he felt reassured by the salvage timeline that was given on Wednesday.
“I felt a great relief to know it’s not going to be left there. If they should pick up anything for Raymond, then we will be more satisfied. What I understand from the President he said they’re going to salvage it, and he said it’s going to take about eight to 10 weeks to do that,” Grant related with a sense of relief.

He became emotional as he reflected on his close relationship with his nephew.
“To be honest, he is my favourite nephew. I used to live here. We still bonded. We did a lot of things together. Every day, although he was working there, Raymond and I would talk on the phone. Even before that Saturday, around 1:00 or 1:30, he called me and said, ‘Uncle Malik, I going out.’ He told me, ‘When I come back, I got to set your sister right,'” he related.

Somra’s mother, Rebecca Somra, said she continues to struggle with the uncertainty surrounding her son’s fate. She recalled pleading with him not to make the journey.

“I can’t really say where he is right now. Every time I take food to eat, I remember him. I get this feeling like he’s somewhere waiting for people to find him,” she said through tears.

The mother added: “Me vex with he because when he call me and tell me certain things, me say, ‘Raymond, don’t go nowhere.’ But Raymond was determined, and he went.”

As recovery operations continue, the Somra family remains hopeful that the search and planned salvage will finally bring them the answers and closure they have been seeking.

A cleanup programme will begin at Yarrow Dam and Sideline Dam from Monday, after residents raised concerns over accumulated garbage following a halt in waste collection.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand announced the initiative during a walkabout in the area on Tuesday, where she met with residents and observed conditions firsthand at their request.

She said the lack of garbage collection stemmed from the interruption of services previously provided through the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

“Walking through, saying hello to the residents here and hearing their concerns, one of which is that there is no garbage collection because the private garbage collector paid by the City Council has stopped, and it appears that the City Council didn’t put something to replace that,” Manickchand said.

She warned that the uncollected waste posed environmental and public health concerns.
“And this is what is happening.

This is waste in the community that hoards a lot of rodents and vectors and just makes people’s lives miserable,” she said.

While committing to the cleanup effort, the minister appealed to residents and businesses to take greater responsibility for keeping their communities clean.

“So we got to do better as residents and as business people in these communities. We have to be more responsible,” she said.
Manickchand said the cleanup operations, described as the “Big Lift” initiative, will commence on Monday, adding that residents will be provided with a garbage collection schedule.

“The Big Lift will happen in Yarrow Dam and Sideline Dam beginning Monday next week. You will see a schedule about when you can put out your garbage. Please do that for us so we could reach,” she said.

Guyanese businesses that go green could soon be recognised nationally, as the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) launches its inaugural Energy Champions Awards and opens nominations to companies of all sizes.

The awards will recognise small, medium-sized and large-scale businesses demonstrating measurable impact through renewable energy adoption, energy efficiency measures, water conservation, waste management and green building practices, GEA said. The deadline for nominations is August 31.

The initiative supports Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, celebrating businesses that are improving operational efficiency, reducing their environmental footprint and advancing green growth through sustainable business models, according to GEA.

Nominations fall under four categories: Energy, Water, Waste and Green Building. The Energy category recognises renewable technologies and efficiency innovations; Water highlights conservation and stewardship practices; Waste focuses on reduction and circular systems including reducing, reusing and recycling; and Green Building recognises environmentally responsible design, construction and maintenance practices.

Businesses are eligible across three size-based categories: small (one to 25 employees), medium-sized (26 to 100 employees) and large-scale (101 or more employees). Applicants must be registered and operating in Guyana for at least two years and hold relevant authorisations.

Each applicant must submit a completed application form and project brief outlining their sustainability initiatives, supported by data, photographs and other evidence of impact.

Application forms, project briefs and guidelines are available on GEA’s website at https://gea.gov.gy/, at the agency’s office at 295 Quamina Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown, or via a QR code on the official promotional flyer.

Completed submissions can be emailed to gea@gea.gov.gy or delivered in person to GEA’s office by the deadline.

GEA said the awards reaffirm its commitment to advancing Guyana’s sustainable energy transition and recognising businesses championing innovation and responsible energy practices.

An Emancipation celebration was transformed into an evening of reflection and collective healing on Thursday, as Guyanese gathered at The Black Magenta, Georgetown Club, to stitch messages of hope into a community tapestry following the MV Barima tragedy.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur Sonia Noel reimagined the event, originally conceived as Threads of Freedom, into Threads of Hope, shifting its focus from celebration to solidarity after the maritime disaster that claimed more than 100 lives.

The evening opened with prayer for victims’ families before broadcaster Russell Lancaster explained the shift in tone.
“Following the recent tragedy that touched our nation so deeply, it became clear that this evening needed to become something more,” Lancaster said.

Noel said she had intended to proceed with the original event but found herself unable to celebrate after following the unfolding tragedy during her flight home from the United States.

“I decided that I’m not in the mood to celebrate right now,” she said, adding that she gave herself “permission to grieve” alongside affected families.

Describing the country’s emotional state through the language of fashion, Noel said Guyana’s social fabric had been “ripped apart” and challenged citizens to consider how it could be mended.

That challenge found expression in the evening’s centrepiece — the Threads of Hope Community Tapestry — where guests wrote single words reflecting hope, faith, love, healing, strength, compassion or unity on fabric pieces before stitching them onto a shared backdrop.

Noel urged participants to move beyond words alone.

“We don’t just write it. We live it,” she said, calling for intentional daily action to build the kind of society people hope to see.
The event also touched on Noel’s three-decade journey in fashion and entrepreneurship, from her upbringing in Bartica to building an internationally recognised brand.

The evening closed as attendees added their stitched messages to the tapestry, turning individual expressions of grief and faith into a shared symbol of national resilience.