Vishnu won’t leave just so

Seeta Persad

Although the disappearance of two fishermen at sea remains a mystery, relatives of one of the missing men are hoping he would return home soon.

“He would never leave and not contact us. Something must have happened out there. We are hearing that one of the men who went out with Vishnu is in Venezuela. There are reports of shooting but we not sure,” said a relative of Vishnu Ramkissoon.

Ramkissoon, a father of three, lives with relatives at Coromandel Village in Cedros. On Monday, he, together with Adrian Guy of Bonasse Village, Cedros, and Ronald Seethe of Teemul Trace, Clarke Road in Penal, left Otaheite Fishing Facility at around midday and went out at sea.

When the men failed to return later that day, worried relatives contacted the police and Coast Guard for assistance in finding the men. The Coast Guard searched the area and neither the men nor the boat were spotted.

Ramkissoon’s relatives told Sunday Newsday it was unusual for him to be away for so long.

“When he did not answer his phone we called his boss, the boat owner said he too did not hear from him,” the relative said. However, they were not willing to give any more information about Ramkissoon’s employer.

On Saturday, the Coast Guard reported Guy was in Venezuela and had claimed people attacked and shot them while at sea.

According to police report, a vessel with five crew members crashed into the fishermen’s boat and they jumped overboard. Guy escaped and swam ahead of his friends who said he heard two gunshots. Guy, reports indicate, received medical treatment in Venezuela and was with relatives.

President of the Icacos Fishing Association Esook Ali said fishermen from the south western peninsula are willing to help find the missing men. Attempts to reach Lieutenant Sherron Manswell, of the Coast Guard, were unsuccessful yesterday.

Two months ago, Cedros fishermen Awardnath Hajarie, 52, his son Nicholas, 26 and friend Shami Seepersad, 35, were arrested by La Guardia Nacional near the Soldado Main Field. The incident was recorded on April 5, and the Ministry of National Security later contacted Venezuela’s La Guardia Nacional. The men were released and 16 days later they returned home.