Fishermen’s relatives go to Venezuela to identify bodies

Reports said that the bodies believed to be that of fishermen Arnold Beharry, 53, and Steven Beharry, 21, of Icacos Village surfaced in the waters off Venezuela three days ago. The bodies, Newsday learnt, were in an advanced state of decomposition and relatives would rely on the clothing of the men and scars on their bodies to confirm their identities.

According to police, the men, who are not related, were out at sea when their pirogue capsized in rough waters.

Reports are that boat captain Arnold and Ricky boarded the vessel one week ago. Relatives of the missing men said that they left their homes to retrieve their drift nets in the sea off Icacos.

Members of the Air Guard and the Coast Guard also conducted intense aerial and sea searches in the areas but were unsuccessful in locating them.

Coast Guard officials confirmed that based on the drift pattern of the sea, the men were carried into the Venezuelan waters.

Members of the Coast Guard have since been in contact with their counterparts in Venezuela.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Arnold’s wife said both families left Trinidad yesterday morning.

“We have heard that the bodies were found but we need to confirm that it is really my husband and his friend,” said Arnold’s wife Sharda Beharry.

She said since her husband disappeared, she has not been able to sleep peacefully. “I have been getting these nightmares and I always jump up in the night thinking of him. I miss him so much.” The mother of four said that when the identities of the bodies are confirmed, her mind would be at ease. “I just want some closure and the family wants to perform the final rites and say goodbye to him. It would not be easy to say goodbye,” the tearful woman said. Arnold and Steven are friends who would often fish together. Sharda said that her husband had years of experience in the sea. Cedros police officers are investigating.