MP for the Southern Grenadines Terrance Ollivierre says Union Island has been plunged into mourning, as five crew members of the MV Fair Chance, which went down in waters off Trinidad on Saturday 2 April, are still missing at sea.
A press release issued by the Trinidad Coast Guard on Saturday, 2 April, stated that the vessel named Fair Chance, which is from St Vincent and the Grenadines, encountered rough north coast seas and subsequently overturned due to a shift of the cargo on board, five nautical miles North of Monos Island.
MV Fair Chance: 2 crew members receive medicals in Trinidad, 5 still missing
Speaking to Trinidad radio I95 FM, Ollivierre said the crew members who are missing include Captain Dexter Chance, Owen Prescott, Quincy Baptiste, Eric Calliste and another man said to be Grenadian. Those rescued are Vincentian Derriol Smalls and Jonel Mc Intosh a Grenadian.
“What I can tell you now, and what I do know, is that Union Island is in mourning and a large cross-section of the island was heartbroken when they received the news.
“I spoke to the Captain’s wife; so far, she is very distraught as to what has happened”.
Captain Dexter ‘parrot’ Chance is originally from Gouyave, Grenada; however, he has been living on Union Island.
Ollivierre told I95 that the sinking of the vessel was indeed tragic.
On Sunday, a Grenadian publication, THE NEW TODAY, said that Chance became the owner of the MV Fair Chance, which was registered in St Vincent within the past year and was running the Union Island/St Vincent/Trinidad route.
In Trinidad, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds said there is an active search using local assets.
“On Saturday night, there were some challenges as the vessel was being moved around by the waves. However, the operation continued and shifted towards the Venezuelan jurisdiction”.
“I am aware from the latest report that the Trinidad Coast Guard is mustering all the help and support we need to bring the vessel safely to shore so that further investigations and life would continue”.
Guardian Media Trinidad on Sunday reported that the vessel was loaded with steel from the CARICOM port in Port of Spain and had just departed en route to St Vincent and the Grenadines when the incident happened.
According to information obtained by the publication, it is believed that the vessel may have been overloaded.
Reports from Union Island are that several residents suffered substantial financial losses as they had drinks and other goods on board for the upcoming Easter Holidays.
