9 missing fishermen found, rescued off Ngyiresia coast

Nine fishermen, who went missing during a fishing expedition on the high seas off the coast of Ngyiresia, near Takoradi, in the Western Region have been found, the Ghanaian Times has gathered.

Sources at the Bosomtwe Fish­ing Harbour confirmed that the crew has arrived at Ngyiresia with one of them, aged 19, admitted at a hospital in Takoradi.

Multiple sources from the Gha­na Maritime Authority (GMA), Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU) of Fisheries Commission, have also confirmed that the crew had been found and brought ashore.

GMA sources in Takoradi told the Ghanaian Times that they received the distress call on Thursday and relayed the infor­mation to the search and rescue team in Accra.

They indicated that the nine fishermen were found on Friday afternoon, and “were to return to base after undergoing medical checks.”

A Fisheries Commission official also confirmed that “the fisher­men arrived safely Friday night.”

On Tuesday, fear gripped fish­ermen at Ngyiresia, near Takoradi, as a canoe with the inscription ‘In God we trust’ and its nine crew members went missing on high seas, for about 10 days.

Reports indicated that the fishermen lost contact with their colleagues shortly after setting out for the fishing expedition, creating anxieties among families and friends.

Giving further details, Nana Agyemang Opambour of FEU, said that, the missing fishermen arrived at Ngyiresia on Friday, and that the chief fisherman con­firmed same.

He reported that four canoes, dispatched from Ngyiresia, rescued the crew at Shama and brought them ashore where they were later treated at a hospital.

Explaining their ordeal, Nana Opambour said, the fishermen set off on Tuesday, June 27, and be­came vulnerable, adding that the weather at sea during the period did not help them.

“They became vulnerable and could receive no help from other fishermen because of the closed season and, so, they decided to use manpower and got drifted.

It’s by God’s grace that they have arrived safely. It’s a lesson to the fishermen because the crew lost the fish catch which had gone bad and rotten.”

Nana Opambour told the Ghanaian Times that FEU would continue to monitor the situation during the closed season.

The owner of the boat, Kwame Tawiah, explained, the crew mem­bers left the Ngyiresia shores for the Half Assini area but did not return.

He revealed that the missing crew called him briefly on the morning of July 7, indicating that they were all alive, but the boat was short of fuel.

Unfortunately, he lost contact with the crew as their phones went off, and could not get their location.

Six other boats were dispatched to look for the missing crew members, while MTN also tried to help in tracking their last location.