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 Harbor confirmed that the crew arrived in Ngyiresia, with one, aged 19, admitted to a hospital in Takoradi.
Multiple sources from the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU) of the 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. They relayed the information to the search and rescue team in Accra.
They indicated that the nine fishermen were found on Friday afternoon and “were returned to base after medical checks.” A Fisheries Commission official also confirmed that “the fishermen arrived safely Friday night.”
On Tuesday, fear gripped fishermen at Ngyiresia, near Takoradi. A canoe with the inscription ‘In God we trust’ and its nine crew members have been missing on the high seas for 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 in Ngyiresia on Friday. The chief fisherman confirmed the same. He reported that four canoes, dispatched from Ngyiresia, rescued the crew at Shama and brought them ashore. They were later treated at a hospital.
The canoe they were using was pulled ashore
Explaining their ordeal, Nana Opambour said the fishermen set off on Tuesday, June 27, and became vulnerable. She added that the weather at sea during the period did not help them.
Due to the closed season, they could not receive assistance from other fishermen, so they used manpower and drew out.
God's grace has brought themsafely It’s a lesson to the fishermen because the crew lost the fish catch, which had becomespoilage and rotten.” Nana Opambour told the Ghanaian Times that FEU would continue to monitor the situation during the closed season. The boat owner, Kwame Tawiah, explained that 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 that the boat was short of fuel. Unfortunately, he lost contact with the crew as their phones turned off and he could not get their location.
Six other boats were dispatched to look for the missing crew members, while MTN also tried to track their last location.
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