The Western Regional Marine Police Command is coordinating a search for a missing fishing canoe, Second Chance, and its seven crew members after the vessel failed to return from a fishing expedition offshore Axim.

The search involves the Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Fisheries Commission, relevant coastal police stations and fishing communities, as authorities work to establish the canoe’s last known position and locate the missing crew.

According to the police, the owner of the canoe, Nana Kweku Atta, reported the incident at the Fishing Harbour Police Station in Sekondi on Sunday, October 18.

Kweku Atta told the police that the canoe departed Sekondi Fishing Harbour on Friday, October 9, for a fishing expedition offshore Axim but had not returned as expected.

Preliminary investigations indicate that repeated attempts to contact the seven crew members have been unsuccessful, raising concerns about their whereabouts.

A subsequent update suggested that the canoe might have suffered engine failure while at sea, possibly causing it to drift away from its intended fishing location towards Tema and the Volta coast.

However, the police say the vessel’s last known position has yet to be confirmed, making efforts to establish its location a key part of the ongoing search operation.

In a statement signed by the Head of the Public Affairs Unit of the Western Regional Police Command, Chief Superintendent of Police Olivia Et Adiku, the police said the relevant maritime and security agencies had been alerted to assist in the search.

The Western Naval Command, Ghana Maritime Authority, Fisheries Commission and relevant coastal police stations have been notified, while chief fishermen and the Eastern Naval Command in Tema have also been called upon to support the operation. Source:Kabah Atawoge