Coast Guard loses mystery boat as towline fails in rough sea

MYSTERY still surrounds an unidentified pirogue carrying around five decomposing human bodies which drifted into Trinidad and Tobago waters on the afternoon of January 25 but disappeared while being towed by the Coast Guard (TTCG) on January 26.

The TTCG believes the vessel sank while being towed.

A ghost vessel is one found without any living crew onboard. This particular boat was first discovered floating off Trinidad's east coast shortly after 2 pm on January 25, by workers on the Cassia offshore platform. The Coast Guard said a patrol vessel responded and found the boat with the help of nearby boats.

It said a towline was attached around 12.45 am on January 26, but this was challenging, owing to the boat's dilapidated condition. It was being towed back to mainland Trinidad, but the Coast Guard said the towline separated from the pirogue around 4 am in the waters off Mayaro and rescuers lost sight of the boat.

"Despite search efforts conducted over the following hours, the vessel could not be located. It is presumed that the vessel sank due to its severely deteriorated state and the prevailing sea conditions," Lieut Khadija Lamy, PRO for the Coast Guard, said in a statement.

The TTCG is urging the public to  report any sightings of the boat or debris to it immediately at 224-3324.

Newsday was unable to contact Chief of Defence Staff Darryl Daniel on January 26.

This is not the first time a ghost vessel has appeared in TT waters. In May 2021, a similar boat holding over a dozen bodies was found off the coast of Belle Garden in Tobago. The boat was registered in Mauritania in Northwest Africa. It is believed the occupants were trying to migrate to Europe but got lost in the Atlantic Ocean. It was one of about seven such vessels found in the Caribbean and Brazil that year.

In its assessment of the recently discovered boat, the TTCG said it bore a striking resemblance to the one found in 2021, which is why it believes "it is reasonable to assume that the circumstances surrounding this case may be of a similar nature."

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray commended the Coast Guard's efforts, but said the boat's ultimate loss highlighted several gaps in the country’s maritime emergency response infrastructure and capacity.

"It is clear that structural improvements and resource allocation are urgently needed. Addressing these shortcomings is critical to strengthening the country's maritime security framework."

For one, he said air assets would have expedited the search, provided better situational awareness, and improved outcomes in such emergencies. Another gap, Paray said, was while the port of Galeota had been refurbished, there were no properly outfitted or functioning Coast Guard assets stationed there.

"This is a missed opportunity to leverage a strategically located facility to reduce response times for incidents in the southeastern maritime region."

The Mayaro MP also called for the TTCG seafront base at Galeota reconstruction to be expedited.

Oropouche East MP and opposition shadow for National Security Dr Roodal Moonilal said the loss of the ghost boat while under the care of the TTCG was an indictment of Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds' competence.

"The Coast Guard has previously been inept with respect to drug and human trafficking, illegal migrations, and illicit importation of contraband goods. The continuous bungling by the Coast Guard is yet another reflection of Mr Hinds’ gross incompetence, which is also on display with the bloody crime crisis even during a State of Emergency."

He described the incident as an embarrassment to both the government and the country and said it would prevent authorities from co-operating with international agencies to trace the boat's origin.

Calls and messages to Hinds went unanswered.