MV Guidance still missing

A family member of Maxwell Burke, the captain of MV Guidance 11, missing since the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, says there is no truth to rumours that the boat and its crew of five had been found.

On Thursday, Burke’s relative said they had not received any updates from the authorities, so they are not sure what is happening.

A release from the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), said the authorities are investigating the disappearance of the vessel that had as its last known position, the Canouan island harbour, on July 1, 2024.

“The M/V Guidance II is a 150-foot vessel with a white superstructure and a crew of five. The captain of the vessel is Maxwell Burke of Canouan. It is believed that the vessel’s communication and GPS systems were likely damaged as the last known position indicates the ship was adrift many miles,” the release said.

The release went on to state that there are unsubstantiated claims that the vessel and its crew were found, but this is false information.

“We are appealing to the public for any information that would lead to the safe recovery of the vessel and its crew,” the release said.

A Facebook user going by the name Chris Doyle, said in a post on July 8 that the MV Guidance 11 was anchored in Canouan with all crew on board as Hurricane Beryl approached.

“With the wind, the anchor started to drag, so they started the motor to try and re-anchor her. Sometime soon after, her rudders stopped working, and she was adrift in the storm.

“The last person to hear from her was Mark Williams, who was in a similar position. He was in a trawler off Canouan Marina, when they were trying to get in when a rope caught in the prop’ and it was too rough to clear it. The trawler drifted through the hurricane and the storm left them drifting about 66 miles west of St. Lucia. In the calmer condition they managed to cut the rope free and motor to St Vincent,” the post stated. It also said information that the MV Guidance 11 was found is false.

“So, unless new news comes in, consider this vessel still missing and, if still floating, adrift somewhere west of the islands.

“The mobile number on the ship is probably unreachable. But you can contact Mark Williams at 1-784-492-6472,” the post offered.