Two fishermen have been declared missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Opu-Okumbiri in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The missing fishermen have been identified as Elder Sunday Sample Timothy and his assistant, Mr. Avarada.
According to a source, Chief Saturday Akimi-Omunhuo, a community leader, the two men left for a fishing expedition at about 1:00 a.m. on Friday, when the outboard engine of their fishing boat reportedly developed a fault while they were far out at sea.
Chief Akimi-Omunhuo said a rescue boat towed the disabled vessel toward the continental shelf and the Atlantic coastline.
However, as they approached the shore, strong waves reportedly capsized the faulty boat, throwing the two fishermen into the water.
He narrated that the rescue boat and those aboard reached the shore safely, but the two fishermen have remained missing.
Community members were said to immediately launch a search operation along the coastline and surrounding waters.
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The search team later recovered the fishermen’s fishing gear, but there was no sign of the missing men as of the time of filing this report.
Chief Akimi-Omunhuo described the incident as tragic, noting that similar accidents have occurred over the years in the coastal communities.
He appealed to the Brass Local Government Council, the Bayelsa State government, the federal government and relevant stakeholders to provide improved safety equipment, weather monitoring systems and other support for fishing communities whose livelihoods depend on the sea.
“Our people depend on fishing for survival. We need better safety measures to reduce the loss of lives on our waterways,” he said.
Search efforts for the two missing fishermen were still ongoing at the time of this report.
Authorities were yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
