“We Boil Seawater to Drink”— Seven Stranded Fishermen Cry for Help
Seven Ghanaian fishermen stranded at sea for more than a week have made a desperate appeal for rescue after their canoe suffered an engine failure and drifted more than 120 nautical miles offshore.
One of the fishermen, Kwame Akyim, contacted TV3 News by phone, revealing that the crew aboard their canoe, Second Chance, had been struggling to survive without adequate food and drinking water while waiting for assistance.
Speaking to TV3 News reporter Abraham Mensah, Mr Akyim said their ordeal began when the canoe’s outboard motor broke down far from shore, leaving them at the mercy of strong tides.
“We had an engine failure with the outboard motor,” he said.
He explained that the tides carried the canoe further into the open sea, leaving the crew more than 120 nautical miles from the coast.
“The tides were high at sea, so we drifted,” he recounted.
The fishermen, however, managed to improvise a means of movement using canvas to help navigate their vessel away from the deep sea.
“We managed to use some canvas to move our vessel out of the deep sea,” Mr Akyim said.
Despite their efforts, the men have endured severe hardship, surviving largely on fish they had caught, with no proper meal for more than a week.
“We haven’t had a decent meal for over a week. We had to feed on the fish we had caught. We have been praying since,” he said.
Their struggle for survival has also extended to securing safe drinking water, with the crew resorting to boiling seawater to quench their thirst.
“We boil seawater and drink it,” Mr Akyim disclosed.
Although the fishermen have faced difficult conditions, he said all seven crew members remained relatively stable, adding that one of them had experienced stomach pain but was recovering.
Mr Akyim said their greatest concern was the lack of response to their distress calls, despite the presence of passing vessels.
“No one is responding to our call,” he lamented, adding that ships had passed them without responding to their pleas for help.
The seven fishermen aboard the Second Chance are Kwame Akyim, 42; Uncle Amoah, 27; Kobina Koom, 38; Emma, 39; Oboy, 28; Kwamena, 40; and Abodwe, 38.
The crew are awaiting rescue by the Ghana Navy as their ordeal at sea continues.
Source: 3news.com
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