WHILE friends and relatives of the four men trapped in an undersea oil pipeline begged to try to rescue them, Paria Fuel Trading Company instead first sought to find out conditions in the pipeline and to use approved divers, amid fears of more lives being put at risk.

This was the testimony on Tuesday from Michael Wei, technical and maintenance manager at Paria.

Divers Fyzal Kurban, Kazim Ali Jr, Rishi Nagassar and Yusuf Henry died in the tragedy, while Christopher Boodram was the sole survivor.

Wei spoke on Thursday at the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the February 25 tragedy at Paria's berth six at Pointe-a-Pierre, held at the International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain, chaired by Jerome Lynch, KC, with Ramesh Maharaj, SC, as CoE counsel and Gilbert Peterson, SC, as Paria counsel.

[caption id="attachment_987406" align="alignnone" width="695"] Paria commission of enquiry counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, as he questioned a witness at the enquiry on Thursday at the International Waterfront Centre in Port of Spain. PHOTO BY SUREASH CHOLAI -[/caption]

Wei said amid rescue plans were fears of the occurrence a second Delta P – a vortex of water caused by a "differential pressure" in waters, believed to have sucked the five man into the pipeline.

Attorney Ronnie Bissessar, assistant counsel to the CoE, read Wei's witness statement that reckoned the removal of plugs had caused a powerful suction which pulled the men into the pipeline. Bissessar read that after Boodram's emergence from the pipeline, Paria had in turn sent into the pipeline an undersea camera and then a device called a crawler, to ascertain conditions. But these devices met an obstruction.

Neither the Coast Guard nor the diving companies contacted by Paria could be persuaded to enter the pipe, Bissessar read aloud.

DELAY IN SPEAKING WITH BOODRAM

Cutting the pipeline was deemed "too risky," he added. He said Paria focused on an open sea search for the men.

Maharaj said between Boodram's emergence at 6 pm and Paria questioning him at 10 pm, Paria had simply tried to get cameras into the pipeline. Wei replied that Paria was assisting LMCS with its rescue efforts.

Maharaj asked why it took so long for Paria to question Boodram (at 10 pm by phone), to try to ascertain conditions inside the pipeline.

Wei replied, "The first thing you do is ensure his life is saved. Or he'd not be heard today. He had bodily injuries and oil in his throat.

"The primary responsibility would have to be take care of him before questioning him on every condition inside the pipeline."

Wei said when Boodram went to hospital, covid19 restrictions curbed Paria contacting him, until a high-level phone call was made.

[caption id="attachment_987407" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Attorney Nyree Alfonso who also participated in the commission of enquiry hearing on Thursday. PHOTO BY SUREASH CHOLAI -[/caption]

"The time to talk to him was limited. T