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CCNTV6
  • 10 months ago
The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard unsuccessfully tried to tow an unidentified boat which was believed to have human remains on board as it drifted near the Cassia offshore platform.
The boat sank .
Transcript
00:00According to a media release from the Coast Guard this morning, at approximately 2.22
00:06p.m. on Saturday, 25 January 2025, its operations room received a report regarding the sighting
00:13of an unidentified vessel near the Cassia platform.
00:17A patrol boat was dispatched to the area and successfully located the vessel with assistance
00:23from nearby boats.
00:25The Coast Guard says the vessel appeared to contain the remains of five unidentified individuals.
00:31The cause of death of these individuals is unknown.
00:35The release states that at approximately 12.45 a.m. on Sunday, 26 January 2025, the crew
00:42of the patrol boat managed to secure a towline to the vessel, but this proved challenging
00:49due to the vessel's deteriorated state.
00:52The patrol boat then managed to start towing the vessel towards mainland Trinidad, but
00:57according to the Coast Guard, at approximately 4 a.m. in an area east of Me'aru, the towline
01:03separated from the vessel and that was the last they saw of it, despite carrying out
01:09an extensive search of the area.
01:11They presume that the vessel sank due to its severely deteriorated state and the prevailing
01:17sea conditions.
01:19The Coast Guard notes that the vessel's construction bears a striking resemblance to a boat found
01:25off the coast of Tobago in May 2021, which had reportedly drifted from West Africa with
01:31migrants on board.
01:33The Coast Guard states in its media release that based on these similarities, it is reasonable
01:39to assume that the circumstances surrounding this case may be of a similar nature.
01:45It wants anyone sighting the vessel or related debris to report it to the Coast Guard Headquarters
01:52at 868-224-3324.
01:56Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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