Three boats, nine fishermen missing at sea

Concern has grown into worry for several families of Grand Chemin in Moruga where nine fishermen along with three boats have gone missing since Friday morning. The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has been called in to conduct a flight search of waters off Grand Chemin for the missing men and the vessels. Speaking to Sunday Newsday yesterday one the residents of Grand Chemin Akbar Kismatali said that the nine men left Grand Chemin coast some time between four and  six am Friday in three boats named ‘Marissa’, ‘Cobra’  and ‘Mr Cola’. Among the missing are captain of ‘Marissa’ Jerry Silverto, another called ‘Ling’ from Gasparillo and one man known as ‘Brain.’

The Cobra carried the captain who is known as Dundee,  his 22-year-old son and one man called Vincent. The Mr Cola vessel was occupied by the captain who is known as ‘Mardo’ and two other men, one known only as Julian. “When they leave at this  hour (4-6am),” Kismatali said, “the latest they may return is around 6pm.” However when  by 10 pm Friday they were not seen, Kismatali said: “By then we realise that something had to be wrong.” He said the villagers contacted officers at the Moruga Police Station. Yesterday around six am ten villagers in three boats conducted a search for the missing men and the vessels some 19-20 miles from the Grand Chemin Coast. It was here that they found the only link to the missing men, two  fishing nets with a catch that was already beginning to spoil.

Some of the  villagers returned  afterwards in search of the third missing net. This  discovery, Kismatali said, was made between two points named the Scattermang — a Venezuelan mangrove area and another point named ‘The Pole’. Another La Lune resident Cyrus Baptiste speaking to Sunday Newsday said the  situation has caused many of the family members and relatives to become very worried, not knowing what has become of their loved ones. When asked as to what he thinks may have happened, Kismatali responded: “Everybody just speculating, Some say the Guardia Nacional has taken them, others say is piracy.” Earlier this month three Tobagonian fishermen were discovered off the coast of Mexico after disappearing  off the Tobago coast some 33 days earlier.

Last month two fishermen  left the seaport at Waterloo to go Venezuela, and to this day are yet to return. Both Baptiste and Kismatali said that the villagers would continue to search for the men. When contacted officials at the Moruga Police Station said that they are working closely with the Coast Guard. PC Nurse, among others are assisting in the investigations. The Coast Guard, when contacted by Sunday Newsday said that they were still carrying out flight searches in the area where the men are believed to have gone missing. They also revealed that yesterday morning they sent a fax to the  Guardia Nacional relating to the matter but up to 3.45 pm they had received no response. Still though, the Coast Guard continues to search and  friends and  family  continue to hope that the fishermen would soon be found, unharmed.