There are many stories that can start with ‘Once in a while …’ Like those of the oceans. Many books can be written to remind us of those lost at sea; their spirit dancing on the waves and singing in a breeze; birth mythologies such as those associated with natural disasters. For example, hurricanes are said to be in the spirit of an African woman who was kidnapped, beaten, raped and thrown into the ocean by a slave ship. We know that this is not the story of one African woman, but many unknown.
Whether it was storms that mocked the endurance of ships; or an iceberg like the one that led to the sinking of the Titanic; slave ships where those who were too proud to be trapped to their deaths or where bodies were disposed of to hide men’s crimes, jumped the ocean full of tragedy.
But our oceans are also a vast reservoir of life and food. Some of Earth’s super foods come from the ocean. The creature man has never known perhaps hidden in the midnight zones of the ocean. Sea life may survive those on land. Earth’s air is polluted, there are genetically modified foods, we are sick and dying increasingly younger, strange viruses plague us, pharmaceutical companies are investing more in customer creation than cure, and our social issues overwhelming. But even sea creatures do not completely escape how humans destroy this planet. We have also managed to pollute the oceans. Junk, sewage, industrial waste, oil flow and many more of our actions are the planet’s anti-life and future. Aliens might write sometime ‘once there was a time called Earth …’
Occasionally, something mysterious draws our attention to the ocean. This week the boat spotted offshore Guyana with dead bodies this week. On Monday, there were reports that the occupants of an outgoing ship saw the boat and alerted authorities. A photo that was believed to be the boat was shared. I immediately thought of horror filmmaking. Ghosts at sea create storms to wipe the Earth from all walks of life. Zombies emerge from the sea to roam the Earth after the apocalypse.
The speculation is sparse. One of the first things I heard is that the crew could have died from COVID. Or maybe they were murdered at sea. There may be drugs and weapons on the boat with the cadavers. Or maybe they just lost their way and died of starvation. It is normal for people to speculate when mysteries like this happen and the truth is not revealed. Who knows what ‘once in a while’ will be written about this boat.
It was reported that the boat was towed and expected to start Tuesday morning. But then the boat was reported missing. Authorities claimed the boat had disappeared. Poof, like a magic trick, and it was gone. They thought it might have sunk. They also speculated that the boat may have moved from as far afield as Africa.
Like many others, I was surprised by the reports. I looked at Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and wondered if they genuinely believed that the Guyanese people would accept what they were telling us and question nothing. I have not seen an opinion or spoken to anyone who believes what many would call a ‘Jim Cock Bring a Ram Goat’ story. There was nothing to convince me that this story they were trying to sell us should not begin ‘once in a while’.
A boat that was towing suddenly disappeared and no one knows what happened? The people who were supposed to watch the boat were asleep or inebriated? Did anyone even watch the boat?
‘Guyana is not a real place’ was starting to trend again.
There are many questions. Questions like: If this boat sailed from as far afield as Africa, why would it sink Guyana offshore all of a sudden?
They said there was bad weather Monday night. A storm out in the ocean might be powerful enough to sink the boat, but nothing seemed unusual about the weather for me on Monday night. But if this boat had moved from as far as they had guessed, wouldn’t it have encountered bad weather before? The fact that the Home Affairs Minister said the boat was towed is questionable as to whether the story of the disappearance is to be believed. Attempts to tow the boat were apparently unsuccessful, leaving the boat to drift.
Is there a country where offshore men have been reported missing? Are there any Guyanese missing at sea? Could it be a case of piracy? Or something even more sinister? Could it be that what was found on the boat tells a story the authorities want to hide? Or maybe they don’t want the hassle of researching it?
This is not the first time a ghost boat has appeared. In recent history, ghost boats have been washing dishes in Japan regularly since 2013. In 2017, there were ghost ships with 35 dead bodies. Most were said to have originated in North Korea. Often it was fishermen lost at sea who were starved to death.
It was reported that the search for the boat had been postponed. It was also reported that other countries such as Trinidad had been warned to search for the ship.
We may never solve the mystery surrounding the ghost boat. But it is worrying. Not knowing what is going on leaves people guessing and pointing fingers. Perhaps it could be that the boat was sinking; or it could be that he has just moved and will find himself again soon. But what we can say is that the way the information about the boat was presented suddenly disappears is questionable.
I’m sure the people on those boats have left families behind. I’m sure if they were alive when they got into that boat it wasn’t their intention to die. And if their dead bodies were laid on the boat and about to sail, murderers were probably free.
Whatever their fate, they deserve to be known and really count on what happened to say it. We can only hope that the mystery will eventually be solved. But we may never know, and all the stories that are being told in the future about the mysterious boat may well start with ‘once in a while …’