Seven Sekondi fishermen survived 12 days adrift on fish and boiled sea water

Seven fishermen from Sekondi survived a 12-day ordeal at sea by consuming fish they caught, boiled sea water, and burning wood from their own canoe. The seven men embarked on a five-day trip from Sekondi to Axim on October 9, 2026, aboard a vessel named Second Chance. On the third day of their journey, their outboard motor malfunctioned, leaving them stranded.

After the food and drinking water ran out after five days, they resorted to consuming the caught fish and boiled seawater to reduce salinity. They also used some of the fish to catch additional meals. Despite having fuel and matches, they ran out of charcoal for cooking, resorting to burning the canoe itself. After days of drifting, one of the crew spotted land at night and alerted others.

They managed to contact their fishing leaders and a friend named Kingsley, who informed their families. It was initially believed they were near Togo, but they were in fact closer to Benin. The fishermen were located by Kingsley's friend, who then contacted their fishing leaders. Local fishermen and naval forces from Benin and Togo joined forces in a joint search-and-rescue mission.

The Togolese naval vessel finally transferred the stranded fishermen to the Ghana Navy at the maritime border between Ghana and Togo on October 21. They were safely returned to Tema, Ghana, on October 22. Among the survivors were Kofi Emmanuel, 32; Uncle Amoah, 45; Kwamena Nkum, 29; Kofi Aboagye, 36; Doboa, 35; Agya Badu, 42; and Kwamena Akyem, 40. Nkum stressed that the crew should have carried a backup outboard motor for emergencies.