Tobago fishermen Albert James and Junior Thorn were found alive yesterday after they went missing at sea last Tuesday morning.
They were found anchored off Crown Point by other fishermen who had gone to check on their fish pots.
The men departed Pigeon Point Fish Port around 6 a.m. last Tuesday aboard a white and blue open-top fibreglass pirogue and were later reported missing.
Junior Thorn
The fishermen were greeted with applause when they were brought to shore at Pigeon Point beach yesterday.
Minutes after he reached the shore, one of them, Albert James, told the Sunday Express he thanked God for being alive.
“There is no place better than home. The experience was not nice but I overcome it because I am an overcomer—that is what Jesus say I am. I was glad to make it, lucky to make it. I would tell anybody: you have to get the right instrument to go to sea. It can save your life every day,” James said.
Junior Thorn, the other fisherman, said they were thankful to God for being alive.
He said they survived for several days at sea by eating fish they caught. “I feel great. To stay alive I drank water (and) eat fish. We were in our boat and we were worried about survival but where we anchored the guy came to see his fish pot (and found us). To the people of Tobago believe in God, stay strong, have faith,” Thorn said.
The fishermen were later taken to the Scarborough General Hospital for treatment.
One of the fishermen who assisted in the rescue of the men, who wanted to be identified only as “Simba”, told the Sunday Express: “It was the greatest (that we) saw them. I glad and feel happy about it.”
James’ wife Indira Surkumar also spoke to members of the media in Tobago yesterday.
“I am very emotional. The best catch is my husband that come back to shore. I want to thank from the bottom of my heart God, (who) give me strength; I am grateful and thankful for the love and support,” Surkumar said.
THA Assemblymen Nigel Taitt and Nathisha Charles-Pantin of the Division of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development both spoke with the Sunday Express.
Taitt said he was elated.
“I am a very emotional person. I was here from Tuesday to (yesterday) with the friends, family and fisherfolk from Pigeon Point area and I am so proud when I received that phone call that the men were found. I saw both vessels coming in and the men were standing and I broke down. I said prayers daily for their safe return. I hugged and shook their hands,” he said.
Charles-Pantin said she was relieved the fishermen had been reunited again.
“I am proud of Mr Taitt. We kept working with (Tobago Emergency Management Agency) to take the necessary steps to find the missing fishermen and of course the Chief Secretary has been following very closely,” she said.
Dehydrated but in good spirits
The Division of Health through Health Secretary Dr Faith Brebnor stated that the men were brought into the Accident & Emergency Department, Scarborough General Hospital, at approximately 11.25 a.m. yesterday.
“The men were immediately attended to. Both men received treatment for dehydration but are stable and in good spirits. Further testing and observation are ongoing. Recovery so far is good and without complication,” Dr Brebnor said.
