Seven Ghanaian fishers who were stranded at sea for more than a week have been rescued in a coordinated operation involving the navies of Ghana, Togo and Benin.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture confirmed the successful rescue on Thursday, October 22, 2026, commending the three navies for their swift response and effective regional cooperation.
The operation followed a distress alert issued by the Ghana Navy and the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC-E) on Wednesday, October 21.
The Togolese Navy deployed its patrol vessel, OTI, which located the distressed fishing boat approximately three nautical miles off Grand-Popo in Beninese waters.
All seven crew members were rescued and provided with assistance, while the vessel was being towed towards the Ghana-Togo maritime boundary for handover to the Ghana Navy.
The rescue brings relief to the crew of Second Chance, whose disappearance had prompted a multi-agency search after the canoe failed to return from a fishing expedition off Axim in the Western Region.
The canoe departed Sekondi Fishing Harbour on October 9 but suffered an engine failure, leaving the crew drifting offshore.
One of the fishermen, Kwame Akyim, told TV3 News that strong tides had carried the canoe more than 120 nautical miles offshore. He described the crew’s difficult conditions, saying they had limited food, relied on their catch for sustenance and resorted to boiling seawater for drinking.
The canoe’s owner, Nana Kweku Atta, reported its disappearance to the Fishing Harbour Police Station in Sekondi on October 18, triggering a search involving the Marine Police, Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority, Fisheries Commission and fishing communities.
Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson subsequently disclosed that contact had been established with the crew and that their location had been identified in neighbouring waters, prompting engagement with Togolese authorities to facilitate their safe return.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has reiterated the importance of safety at sea, urging fishers to check weather conditions before departure, wear life jackets, carry reliable communication equipment and strictly observe maritime safety advisories.
“Safety at sea is non-negotiable,” the Ministry stressed, warning that no fishing expedition was worth a human life.
It urged every fisher to take personal responsibility for safety and called for all necessary measures to ensure that those who venture out to sea return home safely.Source: Emmanuel Tetteh
