The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship RFA Mounts Bay is docked in Barbados following their relief mission in the Bahamas after the passing of Hurricane Dorian which pummelled the country for approximately 60 hours.
The ship was the first responder on the island a day after the category five hurricane wreaked havoc there with many families still searching for loved ones missing.
The team of the RFA Mounts Bay also provided rescue missions and airlifted persons who were medically ill or rescued from the rubble to a nearby medical center.
Recounting the ordeal as he spoke to the media in the conference room of the RFA Mounts Bay vessel, Royal Engineers Commander Captain Tom Booth said on arrival, there was a sense of desperation by Bahamians who were eager to leave the country.
“Obviously, there was a bit of [desperation] in Marsh Harbour as the devastation was quite apparent. They weren’t really asking for help; they did not really need clean water initially. What they were asking for was evacuation. Because of how the situation was, everyone wanted to leave but at that particular time there were not the means to evacuate all those people,” he said.
Commanding Officer Captain Robert Anders said the mission was successful as they were able to provide aid, clean debris and provide a sense of hope to Bahamians while Dorian was still over the island.
“Mount Bay was delivering aid, clearing roads while Dorian was still in the vicinity. The hurricane was still active on Grand Bahama when we initially went in. The ship very much operated on the edge of an operational envelope but the whole ship was united in a common aim to help the people onshore and let them know the community cared,” he said.
Captain Anders said Hurricane Dorian was an example of how governmental organizations could work in solidarity to achieve a common goal of saving lives.
“I do appreciate that we did land a significant amount of aid, but we would never be able to help everybody. The estimate by Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) was that there were approximately 7,000-10,000 people ashore that needed assistance. The ships’ company delivered something called hope. That is something that was visible in people on the ground who moved from shock and loss to believing that they could rebuild and they were being supported by people who cared and that they could build a better future for themselves,” he said.
RFA Mounts Bay provided water, ration packs, shelter kits, diesel, hygiene kits, assorted medical supplies, a generator to Cedar Harbour, Fox Town, Coopers Town, Treasure Cay Farm, Treasure Cay, Elbow Cay (Hope Town), Blackwood Village, Marsh Harbour and Little Grand Cay between September 5 and September 9.
Captain Anders said since the ship has been docked in Barbados, he has spoken with the Regional Security Systems and the Barbados Coast Guard.
“We also met the Chief of Defence on the first day and had a fantastic chat with him about the future and how we can collaborate better with the Barbadian Government. We got some Coast Guard individuals that we are taking to the sea for four days and also to learn from them how the Barbadian Coast Guard operates,” he said.
Anders said he has met with persons from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as his Commandant. He will be attempting to attend CPL to watch the Tridents play tomorrow night in order to soak up some of the Barbadian culture while he is on the island. (LG)
