Divers find body inside MV Fair Chance

Six days after the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) cargo vessel, MV Fair Chance capsized en route from Trinidad and Tobago to Grenada, a body has been discovered in the wreck.

A release from the Trinidad and Tobago(T&T) Coast Guard issued yesterday, April 7, informs that members of their Diving Department, along with commercial divers provided by the owner of the Fair Chance, were conducting dives to remove cargo that was blocking the entry ways to the vessel when they discovered the body of a male. 

“The body was subsequently handed over to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service for further investigation,” it continues.

The name of the seafarer whose body was recovered was not yet known up to the time of going to press.

The Coast Guard extended condolences to the relatives of the deceased, and said that it “remains committed to continuing searches, in conjunction with partner agencies, for the remaining missing persons.”

According to information, the Fair Chance left the Trinidad port on Saturday afternoon, April 2 loaded with cargo for Grenada and SVG. There were seven persons aboard the vessel, including Captain, Dexter ‘Gary’ Chance who is Grenada born but lives in Union Island with his wife, Modica Alexander-Chance. 

Some time into their journey it is believed that the cargo inside the vessel shifted in rough water causing the Fair Chance to go off balance and overturn.

Two crew members who escaped the capsized vessel were rescued by a passing vessel. They have been identified by Modica as Derrol Small of Union Island and Johnel McIntosh of Carriacou. 

Small contacted his sister who lives on Union Island shortly after the rescue, and told his sister to call Modica. When Modica called the number for his rescuers, Small apparently told her in tears about what had happened. 

After the incident the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has been working to tow the vessel into shallower waters where it would be possible to conduct dives for any crew trapped inside. 

Several persons on Union Island, including Modica are awaiting news about the fate of the unaccounted for crew members, some of whom were said to be from that Grenadine Island.  

“All that I want is that when they get in the boat in the shallow everyone should be alive inside. That’s all. Everyone should be alive,” Modica expressed on Monday, April 4.