Twenty-five volunteer divers have begun an operation in Barbados to remove partially submerged and completely sunken boats from the ocean, in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
This was disclosed by Chief Fisheries Officer, Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox, at a recent press conference held at the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, Warrens Tower II.
She said approximately 26 sunken boats had been identified, thus far, and will be brought up from under the sea in a manoeuvre, which she described as a very intense diving operation.
“We have, as shown by the underwater robots, boats that are sandwiched between ice boxes and concrete slabs. It’s quite challenging and we pray for the safety of the divers,” Dr. Cox stated.
The Chief Fisheries Officer said the role of the divers is to place slings around the vessels, in order for the crane to carefully lift the boats out of the ocean. She added that the official number of submerged vessels will not be known until they are taken out of the water.