The search for 54-year-old fisherman Permaul Punsammy is still ongoing after he fell overboard during a fishing trip on December 19, 2025. Recent reports indicate that some of his belongings have been recovered in the vicinity.
Permaul’s brother, 56-year-old Veerasammy Punsammy, was on the trip with him and recounted the events to the News Room. He stated that it was raining when the incident occurred. Permaul became entangled in the seine being cast into the Coppename River and subsequently fell overboard.
Veerasammy described how he and two other crew members immediately began searching for Permaul upon realizing he had fallen. He reported that his brother responded three times during their calls for help.
“The third time he called out to me, he said ‘Harvey’. And then he went down. After he called, we started pulling back the seine. I tied the seine so if he held on, he could come up, but he didn’t hold on,” Veerasammy explained.
During their search, they found Permaul’s cloak attached to the seine, indicating he had likely attempted to remove it while trying to catch it again. Additionally, his headlamp was discovered a short distance away.
The search continued throughout the night and into the following morning, with the crew visiting various landing sites in Suriname and seeking assistance from other boat operators to locate Permaul.
The situation was reported to local authorities in Suriname, with a formal report filed at the Number 51 Police Station. Given the time that has elapsed since his disappearance, Veerasammy expressed grave concerns for his brother’s survival.
“That’s extra hard for him to survive. Unless he held onto something or came across another boat, he likely has no alternatives. That’s my understanding given the circumstances,” he stated.
Authorities and family remain hopeful but aware of the challenges in the search for Permaul.
