Body found inside capsized cargo vessel

THE body of one of the five missing sailors was found by divers on Thursday, inside the boat which capsized last Saturday.

The discovery was made by Coast Guard divers and private divers hired by the owners of the Vincentian-flagged cargo ship, the MV Fair Chance. The boat capsized in Trinidad waters while en route to St Vincent.

Sailors Johnel McIntosh of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Derrol Small of Grenada were rescued shortly after the incident but five other sailors were left unaccounted for.

The vessel capsized five nautical miles north of Monos Island after cargo on board shifted to one side after encountering rough seas. The ship was towed to Staubles Bay in Chaguaramas where divers began searching the overturned vessel.

In a media release on Thursday, the Coast Guard said it recovered the body of a man who is yet to be identified, while removing cargo that was blocking the entrance of the ship.

Missing are the ship’s captain Dexter Chance and crew members Devon Celestine, Eric Calliste, Owen Prescott and Quincy Baptiste.

On Thursday, Chance’s mother-in-law Sherma Alexander told Newsday she was disappointed by the efforts of by local authorities to rescue the men. She believes had divers began their search on Saturday, the men may have been found alive.

She added that with the body found, what little hope she had of Chance being found alive, is gone.

“Everyday I sit down here listening for news and there is no news. I think if they had worked fast on Saturday and Sunday lives would have been saved, if nobody was damaged. I think they worked real slow,” Alexander said.

She added it has been hard on her family especially her daughter who lives on Union Island off Grenada’s mainland.

“I think the authorities in Trinidad really lapsed down there. They could have done better and helped the people.

Coast Guard divers along with commercial divers are expected to continue their search for the remaining four men on Friday.