A review of surveillance footage from the Georgetown port has helped authorities confirm that 179 people boarded the MV Barima before it left for Port Kaituma, Region One.
According to officials, the total included 81 men, 37 women, 43 children and 18 crew members. The CCTV recordings have been used to help investigators match passenger details and establish who was on the vessel when the tragedy occurred.
The MV Barima left Georgetown shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026, bound for Port Kaituma. At about 11:01 p.m., a distress call was received after the vessel ran into difficulty and capsized, triggering a major search and rescue operation.
As of 13:00 hrs today, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) has accounted for 77 persons rescued. A total of 41 bodies have now been recovered. The first recovery for the day was made at 10:15 hrs, and 14 bodies have been retrieved as of 1 pm far today.
The ongoing operation is being coordinated through the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, with the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard leading the response on the water. Support is also being provided by the Joint Services, emergency responders, medical teams, regional officials, private boat operators, fisherfolk, community members, volunteers, civil society, the private sector and international partners.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali has assured the nation that every available resource will remain deployed in the search and recovery mission. He has also promised a full, thorough and independent investigation to determine exactly what happened and whether any failures contributed to the tragedy.
