Gulf of PariaFather and Son Robbed at Gunpoint, Boat Stolen ($150,000 Loss)

Fisherman Rakesh Deodat, 49, and his son Renaldo, 24, were attacked by four armed, masked men while asleep on their 28-foot pirogue approximately three miles off Mosquito Creek in the Gulf of Paria around 2:30 AM on Tuesday, July 1. The assailants fired a gunshot into the air, spoke Spanish, and ordered the men to abandon the vessel; when they threw the cooler cover overboard, both father and son jumped into the water and swam for their lives as the bandits sped away with the boat. Deodat and Renaldo endured an almost eight-hour swim through dark waters, battling exhaustion, severe muscle cramps, and the fear of drowning, before reaching Point Sable Beach in La Brea. The stolen pirogue, engine, nets, and other equipment were valued at approximately $150,000—Deodat's sole source of income. No arrests have been reported; Deodat called for increased Coast Guard patrols and a check-in system for fishermen to monitor their movements at sea.