Fishermen missing at sea

A CEDROS family is fearing the worst following the mysterious disappearance of their relative — a 39-year-old fisherman — who along with two other unidentified men went out to sea to fish 17 days ago and were never seen or heard from again. Even the pirogue the trio were in, has disappeared. Christendath Beharry aka “Socket,” left with two other men whose identity was not known, aboard a pirogue to go seine fishing on the night of September 14. Thus far, neither police, the local and Venezuelan Coast Guard nor relatives could say where the men are or if they are alive. However, theories abound. One is that the pirogue sank in the seas between Trinidad and Venezuela and the three drowned. However no bodies have floated to shore as yet. Another theory is that the three were in Venezuela, either on their own or were kidnapped by pirates or detained by the infamous Venezuelan Guardia Nacional.

When Newsday visited Beharry’s relatives in Bois Bough, Cedros, yesterday, his mother and siblings could hardly hide their worry and consternation. “We feel something happen to him because look how long he missing now. He usually let us know where he is. We are especially worried because of the piracy problem on the high seas,” sister Grace Gour said. The missing man’s elderly, frail mother, Balmatee, 69, said around 6 am on September 14, Beharry told her he was going by his sister Lalmanee Sogrim, at Union Village in Vessigny. Gour said her sister later told them Beharry packed a bag with clothes between three and four that afternoon and said he was going night-fishing. “When we did not see him the next day, we were not worried because he accustomed going by friends and staying a few days. He has even been known to have gone Venezuela now and then,” After receiving no word from Beharry for nearly three weeks, the family went to Cedros Police Station on Tuesday and filed a Missing Person’s Report.