Two fishermen, Antonio Sabino and Osorio Pires from Neves in Saô Tomē and Principe, has rescued in the Brass Council Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, after being lost in the treacherous Atlantic Ocean for five days.
The Portuguese-speaking fishermen were saved by a trawler operating in the Gulf of Guinea, which spotted them and promptly brought them aboard. The trawler crew then handed the distressed fishermen over to local fishermen from Okpoama-Brass, who safely brought them to shore.
Upon arrival, the malnourished men were provided with clothing and nourishment by the fishermen of Okpoama-Brass, who went above and beyond to ensure their well-being. Due to the language barrier, communication was challenging, but the fishermen managed to calm Sabino and Pires using sign language before transferring them to the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Ebimiesigha Bebetu, at the Okpoama Division of the Nigeria Police Force.
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Chief Munalayefa William-Sinte, the Chairman of the Okpoama Kingdom Security Committee, expressed relief that the fishermen were found alive and mentioned that a fellow fisherman from Ilaje in Ondo State had gone missing over a week ago. The community had been actively searching the ocean in an effort to locate him.
This incident recalls a tragic event from 2019 when the bodies of two male fishermen, also from Saô Tomē and Principe, were discovered in an advanced state of decomposition on a drifting fishing boat that washed ashore in Okpoama.
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The Bayelsa State Police Command is now diligently working to reunite Antonio Sabino and Osorio Pires with their families. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Asinim Butswat, confirmed that contact has been established with authorities in Saô Tomē and Principe, and efforts are underway to facilitate their reunion.