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Five Fishermen Missing Off Trinidad MV Amanda
BOLO for five fishermen missing since February 24, 2024. Last Saturday between 4 pm and 5 pm, boat captain David Seepaul, 60, his son Davanan, 35, Braiyer Ali, 21, Shiva Seepersad, 20, and Jeremiah Pasqual, 19, left the village of Cedros on a vessel named Amanda to fish in an area close to Venezuelan waters. They were expected to return home later that night or early next morning.
Keep a sharp lookout, assist if possible and provide any sightings to the Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guard.
“We are keeping hope. The only thing is for us to pray and ask God for help. We are staying positive as a family. We are not giving up. This is very hard to deal with,” said Cintra Seepaul in a telephone interview yesterday.
Seepaul said she was grateful to the Hunters Search and Rescue Team after they joined the search for the missing fishermen yesterday.
Captain Vallence Rambharat and his team arrived in Cedros around 6 am and disembarked from Icacos Village on a boat at 9 am.
He said they visited two of the fishing grounds on the Venezuela coastline, where the fishermen would sometimes frequent, and conducted a four-kilometre grid search.
However, he said after three hours nothing was found. “Our team was unable to identify any floating debris during the search,” he said.
Last Saturday between 4 pm and 5 pm, boat captain David Seepaul, 60, his son Davanan, 35, Braiyer Ali, 21, Shiva Seepersad, 20, and Jeremiah Pasqual, 19, left on a vessel named Amanda to fish in an area close to Venezuelan waters. They were expected to return home later that night or early next morning.
Thanking the search team for their assistance, Cintra said her uncle, David, has seven children, the youngest being 12 years. She said Davanan has three children, the oldest of them nine years and youngest just a few months old.
Following complaints by relatives about the lack of response from the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG), the TTCG yesterday claimed the family never contacted them directly and denied their vessels were not working.
Cintra, however, insisted a report was made on Sunday at the Cedros TTCG base.
In the release, the TTCG said it was aware of reports concerning missing persons aboard the pirogue Amanda.
“However, it is important to clarify that the TTCG’s Maritime Operations Coordinating Centre (MOCC) was not directly contacted by the families of the missing persons. Therefore, reports circulating in the media indicating that the families contacted the TTCG and were told that the Coast Guard boats were not working are inaccurate,” the release stated.
The TTCG added that they had contacted the Venezuelan authorities to seek their assistance in locating the missing vessel and the men.
“We are currently awaiting further information. The TTCG remains committed to the safety and security of all our mariners and is prepared to assist in any way possible.” The Coast Guard assured they will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they become available.
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