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 Bell 402 Army helicopter with seven Guyana Defense Force ranks on board.

And while efforts continue to locate the servicemen, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said inclement weather continues to be a challenge.

“Search teams continue to grapple with inclement weather conditions as they navigate the search areas,” GDF said in an update to the media on Thursday.

The army helicopter reportedly lost signal 30 miles from the border with Venezuela on Wednesday but the search had to be called off for the night because of bad weather.

On Wednesday, GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan said the emergency signal from the aircraft suggests a crash landing or could have been triggered by the crew on board.

The Army deployed its Skyvan and a search and rescue team from its special forces. They were supported by a helicopter.

The seven GDF officers on board the Helicopter

The search was called off due to the severe weather condition and resumed at “first light” Thursday.

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, with over 40 years of experience, was flying the aircraft over mountains and dense jungle.

He was flying a team under the command of Colonel Michael Shahoud, Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion, on a mission to visit troops on the western border.

Also part of the mission were Retired Brigadier Gary Beaton, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome, and Staff Sergeant Jason Khan.

Apart from Charles, the other crew members were Lieutenant Colonel Andio Michaeal Crawford and Corporal Dwayne Jackson. The aircraft landed at Olive Creek to refuel and contact was lost shortly after take-off.

 

 

A School Examination Committee (SEC) Meeting was also held. This focused on regulations concerning the conduct of examinations, issues related to the development of the syllabi, concerns raised by examiners in their reports about the 2023 examination, and any proposals from management about changes to procedures or protocols that governs the examination.

Also on Wednesday, the awardees paid a courtesy call to the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the Honourable Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the Office of the President.

The awardees also paid a visit to the recently commissioned Good Hope Secondary School where they had a tour of the institution and interacted with some of the students.

The students being honoured for their outstanding performance are:

• Alex Muntaz, Guyana Anna Regina Secondary School CSEC – Overall Outstanding Achievement,  Most Outstanding in Technical/Vocational
• Siddiq Gafar, Guyana I.S.A Islamic School CSEC – Most Outstanding in Business
• Meira Wohl, Jamaica Campion College CSEC – Best Short Story
• Kayla Wright, Jamaica Campion College CSEC – Most Outstanding in Principles of Accounts (ACCA Award)
• Celando Matchevelli, Jamaica Manchester High School CSEC – Most Outstanding in Visual Arts- Two Dimensional
• Deanna Beepath, Trinidad & Tobago Rio Claro West Secondary School CSEC – Most Outstanding in Visual Arts- Three Dimensional
• Naila Rahaman, Guyana Queen’s College CSEC – Most Outstanding in Humanities
• Abigail Stephanas, Guyana Queen’s College CSEC – Most Outstanding in Sciences
• Naresh Jagnanan, Guyana Queen’s College CAPE – Overall Outstanding Achievement, Most Outstanding in Business Studies (ACCA Award)
• Matthew Dunn Jamaica York Castle High School CSEC, Most Outstanding in History
• Darius Payne Trinidad & Tobago Naparima College CAPE – Most Outstanding in Natural Sciences
• Rishi Rakesh Pokhriyal St. Maarten Methodist Agogic Centre Comprehensive Secondary Education CCSLC – Top Male Performer

a Bell 402 Army helicopter with seven Guyana Defense Force Officers on board resumed at “first light” Thursday morning, senior officials within the GDF have confirmed.

The army helicopter reportedly lost signal 30 miles from the border with Venezuela on Wednesday but the search had to be called off for the night because of bad weather.

“Yes, an operation of this nature will commence at first light. The search continues!,” GDF’s Public Relations Representative, Heppilena Ferguson said.

Comments from National Security Advisor to the President, Capt. Gerald Gouveia, on his Facebook page Thursday morning also confirmed that the search has resumed.

“We know exactly where they are,” Gouveia, a former military officer and veteran airline transport-rated pilot noted.

“Our search and rescue efforts are supported by the best search & rescue teams in the world… equipped with the most sophisticated search helicopters on the planet.

“Today as we venture out to bring them home we expect the weather to allow us to see better today,” he wrote.

The seven GDF officers on board the Helicopter

 

On Thursday, Guyana Defence Force Chief of Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan said the emergency signal from the aircraft suggests a crash landing or could have been triggered by the crew on board.

He told a news conference at the GDF army base in Georgetown that there is “no information suggesting any flight by Venezuelan aircraft in that area.”

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, with over 40 years of experience, was flying the aircraft over mountains and dense jungle.

He was flying a team under the command of Colonel Michael Shahoud, Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion, on a mission to visit troops on the western border.

Also part of the mission were Retired Brigadier Gary Beaton, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome, and Staff Sergeant Jason Khan.

Apart from Charles, the other crew members were Lieutenant Andio Michaeal Crawford and Corporal Dwayne Jackson. The aircraft landed at Olive Creek to refuel and contact was lost shortly after take-off.

 

told CNN on Wednesday that Mr. Maduro ‘went beyond’ on Tuesday when he announced administrative measures to annex Essequibo and give investors three months to exit from Essequibo’s exclusive economic zone.

As a result of this direct infringement of Guyana’s sovereignty, the state has engaged the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and has officially written to the UN Security Council on the new developments.

See below full release from the US Department of State: 

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Guyanese President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to reaffirm the United States’ unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty.

The Secretary reiterated the United States’ call for a peaceful resolution to the dispute and for all parties to respect the 1899 arbitral award determining the land boundary between Venezuela and Guyana, unless, or until, the parties reach a new agreement, or a competent legal body decides otherwise. Secretary Blinken and President Ali noted the International Court of Justice order issued on December 1, which called for parties to refrain from any action that might aggravate or extend the dispute.

The Secretary reiterated that the United States looks forward to working closely with Guyana once it assumes its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in January 2024. The two leaders concluded the call by agreeing upon the importance of maintaining a peaceful and democratic Western Hemisphere.

After single-match elimination play, the winning team in each match will advance to the Group Stage.

A 12-national team Group Stage will follow the Prelims and will be played between February 20-28, 2024, at Dignity Health Sports Park (Group A), Snapdragon Stadium (Group B), and Shell Energy Stadium (Group C).

After round-robin play, the group winners, runners-up, and the two best third-place finishers will advance to the tournament’s Quarterfinals.

The Knockout Stage will commence with the Quarterfinals at BMO Stadium on March 2 and 3, followed by the Semifinals and Final at Snapdragon Stadium on March 6 and 10, respectively. (CONCACAF)