Coast Guard boat sinks in Tobago

ELIZABETH GONSALVES

A Coast Guard boat moored at the Scarborough Jetty near the fishing depot in Tobago was discovered underwater on Monday morning.

Newsday understands that reports were made by Coast Guard officials to the Tobago Emergency Management Agency at 8.45 am and assistance was rendered to bring the vessel afloat. The sunken boat is, reportedly, the only vessel allocated to the island.

The white boat, with one red and black stripe on each side, was found completely sunk but was, fortunately, still visible because it was tied to the pier. According to sources, Coast Guard officers cleared the area and requested that the incident remain secret. Newsday was also told that several drums filled with water and air bags were used to bring the boat to the surface.

Public Relations Officer of the TT Coast Guard Lieutenant Sherron Manswell told Newsday on Monday evening, that the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated.

When contacted, vice president of the All Tobago Fisher Folk Curtis Douglas described the case as shameful. “For it to sink in the ambit of the Coast Guard presence when it was moored off; that is negligence and somebody from the Ministry of National Security needs to give the public a statement to explain that.”