Breaking Canoe Parts, Stranded at Sea: Rescued fisherman recounts harrowing ordeal

One of the seven Ghanaian fishermen rescued after nearly two weeks of being stranded at sea, has recounted how they survived after running out of food.

According to him, they resorted to using their fishing nets to catch fish and broke pieces of their canoe to make a fire to roast their catch when their food run out.

Speaking in a viral video sighted by GhanaWeb on October 23, 2026, the fisherman said they had no choice than to use part of their canoe as firewood as they struggled to stay alive while drifting at sea.

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The seven fishermen went missing after their fishing canoe, Second Chance, suffered an outboard motor failure during a fishing expedition from Sekondi to Axim in the Western Region on October 9, 2026.

The engine failure left them at the mercy of the wind and sea currents, eventually pushing them into the waters of neighbouring countries.

The fishermen, identified as Kofi Emmanuel, 32; Uncle Amoah, 45; Kwamena Nkum, 29; Kofi Aboagye, 36; Doboa, 35; Agya Badu, 42; and Kwamena Akyem, 40, were eventually located in Beninese waters following a multinational search-and-rescue operation.

Speaking at a press conference in Tema on October 22, 2026, the Director of Naval Training of the Ghana Navy, Naval Captain Festus Osei-Brobbey, said the Navy received a distress alert from the Fisheries Commission on October 20.

The alert indicated that the canoe had suffered engine failure and drifted eastwards towards Togo before entering Beninese waters.

Three Ghana Navy ships were subsequently deployed to search for the missing fishermen. The Navy’s Special Boat Squadron also worked with the National Security and the Ghana Air Force to conduct maritime air patrols.

The operation was coordinated under the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy and the Yaoundé Architecture framework, with support from regional maritime coordination centres in Zones E and F and the French Embassy.

Naval Captain Osei-Brobbey said the Ghana Navy received confirmation at about 10:36 pm on October 21, 2026, that the fishermen had been located by the Beninese Navy.

The fishermen have since returned to shore after being rescued by a joint team of Ghanaian, Togolese and Beninese naval personnel.

Watch the video below:

One of the seven fishermen rescued by maritime authorities has disclosed that after exhausting their food supplies, they were forced to break off parts of their fishing vessel and set fire to them to cook fish they caught at sea.

[🎥: taguchi_pixels] https://t.co/3g1ZWlbIYT

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) October 22, 2026

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