It's such a distant piece of French territory that what happens there rarely attracts attention here. However, the fight waged by the Armed Forces in Guyana (FAG), with the reinforcement of the National Navy and mainland maritime gendarmes, in particular against illegal fishing in the territorial sea (operation MAKO), also proves necessary for the preservation of the resource as potentially dangerous.
Chief Quartermaster Thomas Richez, projected for the fifth time in Guyana, from September 27 to October 23, 2024, can attest to this. “It happens that fishermen throw boards, knives or gas canisters at us when we try to control their vessel,” describes the soldier who has been based in Brest for eight years.
On October 5, the operation could have turned into a tragedy. That day, in the waters bordering Brazil, two semi-rigid boats, each with around ten men on board, were sent to control a 24 meter long ship.
Nine minutes stuck under the boat
“The ship refused to comply, and began to carry out dangerous maneuvers, generating impressive waves,” he says today. The light boat of the soldiers, heavily equipped, is sucked in and turns over. Blocked under the boat, the men managed to extricate themselves and right the semi-rigid. “The pilot was missing, trapped under the boat. So I tore off my equipment and I dove,” describes the Brest maritime gendarme, who was decorated with the 1st class medal for an act of courage and dedication this Thursday.
Thomas Richez manages to rescue the pilot, who remained underwater for nine minutes and suffered a stroke. The cardiac massage is carried out on the sausage of the boat, invaded by water. “After a few minutes, the pilot came back to life. And he had no after-effects,” says the Brestois.
“After a few minutes, the pilot came back to life. And he had no after-effects”
The ship was boarded a few minutes later, thanks to another Brest maritime gendarme, chief quartermaster Yohan Salgueiro, who managed to climb on board before the accident. Some 17 tonnes of fish and 500 kg of swim bladders, sold at high prices on the Chinese market, will be seized. The captain of the ship must be tried in Guyana on December 6.
