Seven Fishermen Rescued After 12 Days Adrift At Sea - Charles Bissue Joins Families In Thanksgiving

The 2024 Parliamentary Candidate for Essikado Ketan, Hon. Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, has joined families of the seven crew members of the Second Chance canoe from Ngyiresia in Sekondi, in thanking God for their rescue after being found alive.

The crew had been missing for 12 days after suffering an engine failure at sea.

In a statement, Hon. Bissue said the crew and their families have shown remarkable strength and faith during the anxious period.

"After 12 anxious days adrift following an engine failure, the crew and their families have shown remarkable strength and faith. Our hearts are with you, and we celebrate this moment of relief with you," he said.

He commended the Ghana Maritime Authority, the Marine Police, the Ghana Navy, the Fisheries Commission and all security agencies whose coordination led to the successful rescue.

He also expressed gratitude to chief fishermen and fishing communities along the coast, as well as neighbours in Togo and the Volta Region, for their generosity and cooperation.

"This outcome shows what can be achieved when institutions and communities work together," Hon. Bissue noted.

He said the incident is a reminder of the dangers fishermen face daily at sea and urged fishers to adopt modern safety technology.

"I therefore urge our fishers to embrace technology, in particular SOS alert systems integrated with satellite communications. These tools can send a distress signal with the exact location of a canoe, even far from shore and beyond mobile network coverage," he stated.

According to him, such tools complement life jackets, radios, backup engines and good seamanship and can significantly reduce the time it takes to locate and rescue crews in distress.

He wished the crew a speedy return home and good health, and extended joy, peace and thanksgiving to their families as they reunite.