By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE chance of survival of the four underwater divers who were sucked into a pipeline at the facilities at Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd in February was slim and there was no decision made by Paria to rescue the men.
This is according to Paria’s Acting Technical Lead Catherine Balkissoon who also said Paria did the best they could given the grave situation.
Balkissoon burst into another round of tears during her questioning at the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) on Wednesday when drilled by attorney Prakash Ramadhar.
Ramadhar representing Yusuf Henry and Fyzal Kurban asked a series of questions of Balkissoon and had to be cautioned several times by CoE’s chair Jerome Lynch, KC.
Balkissoon agreed that she was Paria’s “eyes and ears” while at the barge near Berth #6 where the accident occurred was asked, in an accident if a presumption of life or death was made and her response was it depends on the accident.
Ramadhar asked, “In this one, what presumption you went there with upon your arrival.”
Balkissoon said, “Life.”
Ramadhar: “And therefore you appreciate that action needed to be taken in a matter of minutes, because we are dealing air, vapour space isn’t it?”
Balkissoon: “When I arrived at 6 o clock, yes.”
Ramadhar: “And what time the accident occurred?”
Balkissoon: “2.45.”
Ramadhar: “So two plus hours having passed, what was your view if being in your mind that flooded pipe was with water and oil and vapour, what was your view of the likelihood of life within that pipeline. Slim wasn’t it?”
Balkissoon agreed: “Okay.”
Ramadhar then showed information written down on a whiteboard on February 25 which stated that at 3.48 pm, “HSE personnel reported chances of survival are slim.”
Balkissoon also told the Commission she went on the site with a presumption of life, “a hope in my heart” were her exact words.
When the instruction was given by Paria’s Terminal Manager Collin Piper that there be no more diving into the pipeline, she enquired of him of what would be done next which was to have a camera inserted into the pipe.
Ramadhar then asked, “When was a decision made by Paria to execute a rescue to save the lives of these men?”
Balkissoon replied, “It was not made to have a rescue.”
Ramadhar asked if Paria’s plans and resources were sufficient enough to save the lives of the four men who died.
Balkissoon said she and her team did the best they could.
She also said that every day since the occurrence, she asked herself there was something else that could have been done to save their lives.
Lynch also asked if she has been searching her own mind to see if there was something more that could have been done.
A tearful Balkissoon nodded yes and soon after asked for a break which was granted as the CoE went on lunch.
