The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A concerned relative of Maxwell Burrows - the Bahamian crewman of the Sea Farmer who disappeared at sea off Great Isaac Cay on December 4 - believes that foul play was involved in his disappearance amid rumours that the dinghy he and a Dominican diver were on had been found with bullet holes.

Jose Ramon Hernandez was found dead in the boat, however, Burrows, 39, has not been found.

The relative, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, believes that the men were fired on at sea by fishermen. He has doubted police reports about bad weather being linked to the tragedy.

However, when The Tribune contacted Inspector Terecita Pinder regarding claims the Dominican had been shot and that bullets holes were found in the boat, she denied the reports.

“There is a lot of speculation concerning the matter, but I can tell you that there were no gunshots in the boat,” she said.

Inspector Pinder also said a pathologist’s report has been completed in reference to the Dominican diver. As far as gunshot injuries to the body, she said: “That is not so.”

According to initial police reports, the Sea Farmer was in the area of Great Isaac Cay, about 20 miles north east of Bimini, shortly after 7am on Friday, December 4, when the vessel encountered bad weather.

Sometime around 1pm two crew members were discovered missing, and a short time later the body of a Dominican crew member was discovered and the other, a Bahamian, was not found.

The body of the Dominican and the dinghy were taken to Grand Bahama by the officers of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

The relative believes authorities have not done enough to find Burrows.

“The Defence Force went out for a few hours that day and they said they did not see anything, and that was the end of that; we cannot allow a whole human to go missing and leave it like that,” he said.

He described Burrows as a hard working person.

“He was a lovable person and he never bothered anyone and was always a hard worker,” the relative said.

The relative said that Burrows worked as a “keep up” man on the boat.

He said on fishing trips, there is usually a dinghy manned by a small crew that is sent out from the mother ship. After several hours of fishing or diving, the crew members would return to mother ship with their catch.

According to the relative, Burrows and Hernandez had left the mother ship and were out fishing for several hours.

He said that the dinghy was later spotted going around in circles.

“I was told by crew members of Sea Farmer that the Dominican was found in the boat dead with gunshot wounds and that the boat was shot up, and that there was blood in the water,” the relative alleged.

He also alleged that earlier that day some fishermen had threatened to shoot anyone they found near their area.

He said there have been numerous shoot outs at sea among fishermen and fears that Burrows’ disappearance will be swept under the rug.

“They have not found a body and it has not washed (up) anywhere. It is a travesty. You expect this to happen in a real third world country where they don’t have any laws, and to come out and say there was bad weather from the start seems a bit fishy.”

The relative said family members just want to know what happened to Burrows.

“We have tried contacting crew members of the Sea Farmer and no one is returning our calls anymore, “ he said.