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Prime Minister Mark Phillips announced early on July 19, 2026, that 53 passengers and crew members had been rescued after the MV Barima ferry capsized late the previous night off Guyana’s Essequibo Coast en route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in the North West District. The vessel had 116 passengers and crew aboard when a distress call came in at 23:01, according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who added that state and private assets were deployed immediately for search and rescue. The location was identified through an electronic locator transmitter signal and emergency flares, prompting involvement from the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and aerial support.
Demerara Waves reported that Phillips said further details about the mishap would be provided after sunrise on July 19 while Edghill reiterated that both government and private resources remained active in the area near Iron Punt off the Pomeroon River. Brigadier Omar Khan, chief of staff of the Guyana Defence Force, told Demerara Waves that air and marine teams had been mobilised, describing the situation as a tough morning for responders. Region One Chairman Brentnol Ashley received notification of the incident around 00:30 on July 19 and awaited additional updates from the search teams.
The MV Barima, an 89-year-old vessel built in 1939 and measuring about 40 metres in length, was equipped with 250 life jackets, two rigid life crafts and six inflatable life crafts, according to vessel tracking information. A Department of Public Information release from September 2024 noted that the ferry had provided essential transport to and from Port Kaituma in Region One for more than 80 years. During an inspection that year, then-Public Works Minister Juan Edghill highlighted the ship’s importance to residents and businesses in the remote area.
The 2024 government statement indicated that critical repairs to the MV Barima had reached an advanced stage at the Parika docking site, with underwater work completed and full service expected to resume shortly thereafter. Those repairs followed a period when the vessel’s absence forced travelers to take longer routes via Mabaruma and other charter boats, the release added. The ferry’s long history of operation coincides with Guyana’s reliance on maritime links in regions where road infrastructure remains limited.
Stabroek News reported in 2009 that the MV Barima was involved in a collision with a fishing boat that sank, although no injuries occurred in that earlier incident. Shipwreck Log records show that a different ferry, the Makouria, ran aground on the Essequibo River in 2016 while carrying passengers during low tide. Such events form part of the operational record for vessels navigating Guyana’s coastal and riverine waters.
As of the early morning update on July 19, 2026, authorities had not released information on the status of those still unaccounted for or any potential casualties. Edghill noted that medical services aboard a steamer had been sent to the scene along with another ferry to support emergency treatment. The Guyana Defence Force continued coordination of the active search operation involving both its own units and private maritime assets.
