Bodies Discovered in Pirogue Drifting Off Trinidad's East Coast

Trinidad Police and the Coast Guard were responding last evening to a report of a number of bodies found in a pirogue drifting off the east coast of Trinidad yesterday. However, the Coast Guard has lost the mystery pirogue containing the decomposing bodies of five unidentified individuals during a recovery operation early Sunday morning.

The vessel, discovered near the Cassia platform on Saturday remains untraceable after it slipped from a towline and is now presumed to have sunk.

The Coast Guard said it first received the report of the vessel at 2:22 pm on Saturday. A patrol boat was dispatched and, with help from nearby vessels, located the deteriorated pirogue.

Lieutenant Khadija Lamy, Public Relations Officer for the Coast Guard, explained, “Efforts to secure the vessel were extremely challenging due to its fragile condition.”

At 12:45 am on Sunday, the crew successfully attached a towline and began transporting the vessel toward mainland Trinidad. However, at around 4 am, the towline separated in rough seas east of Mayaro, and the vessel drifted out of sight. “Despite extensive search efforts, we could not relocate the pirogue, which is presumed to have sunk due to its severely deteriorated state,” Lamy said.

The vessel has drawn comparisons to a similar incident in May 2021, where a boat containing African migrants was found off the coast of Tobago.

According to Lamy, “The construction of this vessel is strikingly similar to that one, and it is reasonable to assume this case may be of a similar nature.”

“We remain committed to understanding the circumstances surrounding this tragic discovery,” Lamy said.

The Coast Guard is urging anyone with information or sightings of the vessel or debris to contact their headquarters at 868-224-3324.

Bodies Discovered in Pirogue Drifting Off Trinidad’s East Coast