A local cargo vessel turned tragic last evening when four crew members were discovered dead at a Water Street wharf, with preliminary investigations indicating they may have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The bodies of the four men were found in the engine room of the vessel shortly before 7 PM. The deceased are identified as 18-year-old Brandon Deonarine, 57-year-old Nerwaine Persaud, 33-year-old Dominic Alexis, and 25-year-old Getindra Sanchara. Among them, Deonarine and Persaud were seamen, Alexis served as the captain, and Sanchara was the vessel’s engineer.
According to a police statement, it appears the men were inspecting a dry space within the engine room when they were exposed to suspected noxious fumes and subsequently collapsed. It is reported that Deonarine and Persaud entered the engine room first and lost consciousness. Following their collapse, Alexis entered in an attempt to help, only to also succumb. Sanchara was the last to enter the room, trying to assist his colleagues, but he too collapsed.
An alarm was raised by other crew members, prompting a swift response from Emergency Medical Technicians and the Guyana Fire Service. The four men were removed from the vessel and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where they were pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. Their bodies are currently at the hospital’s mortuary, pending post-mortem examinations.
Maritime and Health and Safety investigators have visited the scene and will be part of a larger investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident. Emergency protocols and safety regulations regarding ventilation and exhaust systems on vessels are likely to be scrutinized in the wake of this loss.
