A group of fishermen who were lost at sea for almost three days managed to survive by keeping their spirits up on their life raft, then using a flare gun to attract rescuers.
The seven crew members were forced to abandon their ship, the Elite Navigator, on Wednesday after a small fire on the vessel quickly spread and erupted into a conflagration.
With little time left, the men boarded a life raft and abandoned the burning boat.
The fishing vessel’s captain, Eugene Carter, said: ‘Within five minutes there were seven men on board a life raft and fire all around us.’
The fishing crew finally returned home on Saturday in a rescue operation that people are calling a ‘miracle’
When the crew arrived home on Saturday, they were greeted by hundreds of cheering city residents
The fishermen were embraced by crying relatives who were certain they were dead
After abandoning ship, the men were left with few resources as they drifted in the Atlantic Ocean.
Soon the water supply ran out and the raft drifted further and further from land.
A 15-mile fog bank soon formed, obscuring the stranded fishermen and hampering search efforts.
Despite their dire conditions, the crew managed to maintain a positive attitude, which played a vital role in their survival.
“We were basically just messing around, using the microphone, interviewing each other with the flashlight, trying to keep our hopes up and everything,” Carter said. CBC.
Late Friday night, the crew was able to attract the attention of a rescue helicopter when they fired a hand signal – their last.
“A red flashlight was seen being held in our hand which guided us to a life raft,” the Canadian Coast Guard said in a Facebook post Friday.
Villagers from New West Valley swarmed around the fishermen, who they thought were gone forever
Despite their bleak circumstances, the crew managed to maintain a positive attitude, which played a vital role in their survival.
Canadian fishermen who were lost at sea for nearly three days managed to survive by maintaining a cheerful mood aboard their life raft
For the fishermen, being lost at sea was the hardest part when they thought about the pain and suffering their families were experiencing.
“The hardest part was knowing we were alive and everyone here thought the opposite,” the captain of the Elite Navigator said CBC.
Llewellyn Howell, whose brother was one of the missing crew members, explained that people who grow up in fishing communities are taught to expect the worst when it comes to incidents like this.
“The point is, we thought there was no chance. None.”
When the crew returned to their hometown of New-Wes-Valley, a small fishing village in Newfoundland and Labrador, on Saturday, they were greeted by hundreds of cheery townspeople.
Joyful villagers stood on the quays holding balloons and signs to celebrate the return of their lost loved ones. Awed citizens threw confetti into the air.
The fishermen were embraced by their weeping relatives, who were certain they were dead.
The townspeople rush to the quay to welcome the fishermen
The crew members were greeted with welcome signs like this one
As the crew approached shore in a Coast Guard rescue boat, a number of brave members of the community came out in their own boats to greet them.
When Greg Pretty, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union, heard that the fishermen had been rescued, he could barely sleep with relief.
“To see this come to a successful conclusion, as I indicated yesterday, is great news for this province and this entire country,” Pretty told the CBC.
Prime Minister Andrew Furey expressed relief on social media at the news of the rescue operation.
“Our entire province is relieved to hear that the crew of the Elite Navigator have been found and returned safely to their families. They have been anxiously awaiting this good news,” he wrote.
The prime minister also thanked the “dedicated people involved in the search and rescue operations.”
In addition to four coast guard vessels, a Cormorant helicopter and a Hercules aircraft were also deployed for the rescue operation.
A number of local fishing boats also volunteered to assist in the search.
Prime Minister Furey confirmed at a press conference on Saturday that no injuries were reported.
“Everyone is in good health and there are no visible injuries,” he said, according to the CBC.
The seven crew members pictured next to their rescuers, the Canadian Coast Guard
New-Wes-Valley is a small fishing village in Newfoundland and Labrador
New West Valley Mayor Michael Tiller said the city is breathing a collective sigh of relief following the rescue effort.
“As a human being, you’re always afraid that something bad will happen,” Tiller said.
But when the news started to spread [that they had been rescued] “It was like a huge weighted blanket was lifted up across the region and people were celebrating,” he told the CBC.
“It hits you because in a small town in Newfoundland, you know everybody. You know who they are and you know their parents, their relatives, you know the boat owners,” he said.
The triumphant mayor called the outcome a miracle.
“It’s nothing short of a miracle,” he said.
The crew abandoned their ship, the Elite Navigator, after it caught fire
Jordan Lee King, one of the missing crew members, was not surprised when the helicopter finally found them. The seasoned fisherman was confident they would be rescued.
“I felt great, I couldn’t wait to get on board and have something to eat,” he said. “It’s good to be home.”
David Lee Tiller, another crew member, told the CBC that he felt lucky to be alive.
“I’d like to go fishing with all the boys again tomorrow, every day. But thanks to the big one up here, we’re home alive,” Tiller said.