In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, July 19 2026, a major search and rescue operation was activated after the aging passenger ferry MV Barima sent out a distress signal while sailing in rough waters near Iron Punt, off Guyana’s Pomeroon River, senior government and military officials have confirmed.
The emergency unfolded after the vessel’s crew launched emergency flares to signal their dire situation, amid extremely low light conditions that complicated initial locating efforts. It was an aerial search and rescue team that first spotted the stricken ferry after responding to the distress call.
Private regional aviation firm Roraima Airways was the first to deploy an aircraft to the last known position of the MV Barima, which had departed the capital Georgetown at 3 PM Saturday on a scheduled voyage to Port Kaituma. After the Roraima Airways crew locked in the ferry’s exact coordinates, they immediately relayed the critical location data to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to coordinate a full rescue response.
Brigadier Omar Khan, Chief-of-Staff of the GDF, confirmed to Demerara Waves Online News that both the GDF Air Corps and Coast Guard had been quickly dispatched to the distress site. He described the unfolding incident as “a tough morning” that required rapid mobilization of both air and marine rescue assets.
Brentnol Ashley, Chairman of Region One (Barima-Waini) – the administrative region where the incident occurred – told reporters he first received word of the emergency at approximately 12:30 AM Sunday, and was remaining on standby waiting for further updates from frontline search and rescue teams as of early Sunday.
As first responders worked to reach the vessel, a notable gap in official communication has emerged. Beyond the confirmation provided by GDF leadership, the Guyana government has not issued any coordinated crisis communications response to what could become a major maritime disaster. As of the latest update, there was no designated government communications personnel available to respond to media queries or provide regular official updates on the status of the ferry, crew, passengers, or rescue operation.
Multiple attempts to reach senior maritime officials for comment went unanswered Sunday. Maritime Minister Deodat Indar and Stephen Thomas, Director-General of the Maritime Administration, alongside other senior government leaders, have not released any information on the incident despite repeated outreach from media.