In the early hours of Sunday, July 19, 2026, Guyana’s Public Works Minister Juan Edghill confirmed that the sinking of the MV Barima ferry late Saturday off the Essequibo Coast was caused by a massive, unexpected wave that capsized the vessel. A large-scale, multi-agency search and rescue operation is still ongoing to locate the remaining passengers and crew who are still unaccounted for after the disaster.
According to official passenger and crew manifests, 116 passengers and 17 crew members were on board the vessel when it sank. As of Sunday morning, rescue teams had pulled 67 people from the water, including 15 children and multiple crew members. Edghill shared the preliminary finding of a large wave causing the capsize during a briefing with family members of missing crew, speaking shortly after a formal press conference held at the Umana Yana.
During the briefing, the daughter of 55-year-old missing crew member Richard Moe — who had worked for Guyana’s Transport and Harbours Department since he was 14 years old — was comforted by Maritime Administration (MARAD) Legal Advisor Thandi Mc Allister, who was also present for the meeting. Edghill noted that all survivors interviewed so far have corroborated the sudden, wave-driven capsize, but a full formal investigation has already been launched to rule out other potential causes, including collision with an unmarked submerged object.
The minister also warned against spreading unconfirmed information, as spotty cellular service in the remote accident zone has made it difficult to verify early reports consistently. Government officials first received the ferry’s distress signal at 11:00 PM Saturday night. With daylight breaking on Sunday, the operation has been expanded to cover a wider search area, with assets from the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, MARAD, and private partners including an OMNI helicopter with specialized rescue swimmers joining the effort.
To support the response, the Ministry of Health has activated emergency operations centers in Regions Two and Three to provide immediate medical care to survivors. Officials have confirmed that the names of rescued individuals will not be released to the public immediately, in line with emergency response protocols for major maritime incidents.
The MV Barima, a ferry that served the remote riverain community of Port Kaituma, which is only accessible via ocean-going ferry service, was originally constructed in Scotland in the 1930s. Officials confirmed that the vessel has undergone repeated periodic rehabilitation and upgrades over the decades to keep it in operational service for Guyana’s remote northwest coastal communities.