WALVIS BAY – The family of the Hangana Seafood captain Carlo Gordon, who is still missing at sea, say they are deeply disappointed in the company’s efforts to locate their son. The family is still in disbelief over the tragedy and told New Era at the weekend that the Ohlthaver & List (O & L) Group last week sent a lawyer from an insurance company to inform the family they will not be acquiring a remotely operated underwater vehicle to search for the missing captain. Hangana Seafood is a subsidiary of the O & L Group.
Brother of the missing captain Ryan Gordon, during a visit at their parents’ home in Narraville, said Hangana Seafood, through their actions, gave them the impression that they are done searching for his brother.
“The way they are dealing with us is a slap in the face if you take into account that my brother gave 16 years of his life to Hangana Seafood and made them millions of dollars. All in all, we still believe our brother is alive. He has just gone fishing but they have given up hope,” Ryan said.
According to Ryan, they were told it would cost about N$50 million to get the underwater vehicle. He said the family has also made several suggestions to the company in terms of a search party. “They only came back to us after we wrote long text messages. It is only then that they organised three flights for us to go and see the area in which the vessel sunk. However, the family never went on the flights.”
Ryan added that his mother is taking it hard and has been emotionally drained, saying they desperately want to find their brother so the family moves on. The captain’s mother, Felicia Gordon, feels her son is still alive. “As a mother, you know when one of your children die. You feel it and I didn’t feel it. I still believe my son is alive,” she said while holding back tears in the company of her husband.
The captain’s sister Maurisha Poceiro Santos also added that while her brother has been hailed as a hero for saving his 26 crewmen, the action taken to search for him does not pay justice to his deed.
The captain’s wife, Jacoline, also said she has been praying for a sign that would at least bring them comfort and closure so they deal with the tragedy they are facing. “It is really hard for the kids to come to terms with the father missing. We are all still trying to make sense of it and why it happened. If this is the Lord’s doing and if it is His way of saving others through my husband, so be it,” she said.
“I just want closure for the sake of my children, as they are going through a lot due to the uncertainty of their father’s whereabouts.” According to her, her husband loved fishing and the open sea, adding he was always excited when going fishing. “None of us knows what happened that fateful day, but I have been praying every day for God to turn or lift the vessel from its water grave so that we can at least try and retrieve my husband,” she said.
The family has expressed their appreciation towards all Namibians and people from afar who have reached out to them during this difficult time. “The support we received is overwhelming and we are thankful for that,” said the captain’s mother.
Meanwhile, the O&L Group said it will issue a statement with regards to the search of the missing captain this week.