[UPDATED] Divers’ families in tears as three bodies found

THE bodies of three of the four divers who were sucked into a 36-inch underwater crude oil pipeline off Pointe-a-Pierre last Friday have been recovered.

This was announced by Paria Fuel Trading Company in a statement around 7 pm on Monday.

The news came just hours after relatives of the missing men appealed to the company to give them closure by bringing the missing men back to them as humanely and quickly as possible.

Christopher Boodram, Fyzal Kurban, Rishi Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr and Yusuf Henry were doing maintenance work on the pipeline when the tragedy occurred. Boodram was rescued that same day by diver Ronald Ramoutar, a relative of Kurban. He is in stable condition at the San Fernando General Hospital.

On Sunday, Paria chairman Newman George, general manager Mushtaq Mohammed and terminal operations manager Collin Piper, at a news conference at the former Petrotrin staff club, announced the operations was moving from one of rescue to recovery as the men were presumed to be dead.

In its statement, Paria said the bodies were recovered around 5.55 pm. It did not say which of the bodies were found. The company said it notified the families simultaneously at 6 pm.

Attempts to retrieve the fourth body are ongoing.

"No effort was spared in the attempts to treat the bodies with the utmost respect during the recovery operation," Paria said.

Expressing condolences to the families, the company promised "a full investigation into the incident will be undertaken to understand the root cause.”

The Prime Minister, in a statement, said he was saddened by the news.

Dr Rowley said, "It is with great sadness that we have just received confirmation that four citizens have lost their lives whilst on technical subsea duty at Paria facilities in the Gulf of Paria."

He lamented while everyone prayed for a miracle, it was not to be.

"In this period of great loss and deep trauma for all the families and the national community, I extend sincerest condolences to all their loved ones."

Rowley sought to assure the families that "nothing will stand in the way of determining how this tragedy occurred.

“I also want to commit to them that all that has to be done by Paria and its associates in this matter will be professionally executed, starting with the already announced independent investigation involving the best professional and technical expertise available to the country.

"It is in times like these that we are called upon to be caring and comforting and I have every confidence that our nation will not be found wanting."

Tears flowed as news of the discovery circulated among family members, and those who came to support them at the vigil site, outside the Heritage Petroleum compound in Pointe-a-Pierre.

Vanessa Kussie, the wife of one of the men, fainted and had to be helped by relatives. Some of the grieving people, including many members of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) became agitated and attempted to get through the company’s gate.

Earlier in the day, relatives pleaded with Paria to find the men.

Nicole Greenidge, mother of Yusuf Henry, was not ready to give up hope just yet that her son and the other three divers could still be alive.

She said relatives will continue to wait for word on when they have been found.

"We want closure. We want something."

If the men were indeed dead, Greenidge said, "Present their bodies. Let's get some kind of closure."

She told reporters on Sunday, "I am just trying to pray and hope for the best, not only for my son but all four."

Other relatives agreed with Greenidge. They said, "Broken but alive. We'll take them broken but alive."

While they prayed for the rescue of the missing men, Greenidge said this was happening against growing frustration about being kept in the dark about what was being done.

She also disagreed with George that the company contacted the families before Sunday’s news conference.

"That is total, total lie.

"Every other family can attest to that."

Greenidge also said they were told through WhatsApp messages to tune in to the news conference.

Paria, in a statement at about 10.55 pm, said the bodies were taken to the mortuary at the San Fernando General Hospital, on the advice of DMO Dr Melissa Bachan, to be transferred to the Forensic Science Centre in St James.

Families were told they would have to go to the centre to identify the bodies on Tuesday.

The company said recovery efforts for the fourth body would continue.
It issued its latest statement, shortly after OWTU president Ancel Roget claimed the three bodies were taken away through another exit.

He spoke to a small crowd, including relatives, after asking police at the company's gates to meet with Paria's CEO.

Roget told those gathered that the bodies were "sneaked out" through another exit, which he had footage of, saying it would be released.

He also called on the police to investigate the company's top management over the circumstances of the divers' deaths.