•Boat mishap
Two fishermen have gone missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Opu-Okumbiri community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Residents of the community identified the missing fishermen as Elder Sunday Sample Timothy and his assistant, Mr Avarada, reports Daily Trust.
A community leader, Chief Saturday Akimi-Omunhuo, said the two men set out on a fishing expedition in the early hours of today when the outboard engine of their boat reportedly developed a fault while they were at the sea.
He said a rescue boat attempted to tow the disabled vessel towards the continental shelf along the Atlantic coastline when the faulty boat capsized, throwing the two fishermen into the water.
According to him, those aboard the rescue boat reached the shore safely, but the two fishermen have remained missing.
Community members have since launched a search operation along the coastline and nearby waterways.
Although the search team recovered the fishermen’s fishing gear, the two men had yet to be found as of the time of filing this report.
Describing the incident as tragic, Chief Akimi-Omunhuo noted that similar accidents had occurred over the years in coastal communities.
He appealed to the Brass Local Government Council, the Bayelsa State government, the federal government and other 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.
As of the time of filing this report, search and rescue operations were still ongoing.
