A fishing boat engine breakdown Sunday afternoon January 26 led to a night time search and tug back to Island Harbour. Elements of the event highlight the importance of preparedness, competence, shared community values, and the unique Island Harbour fraternity of fishermen.
Late on Sunday afternoon, when most boatmen had secured for the day, a fisherman had a catastrophic engine failure and needed a tow/tug back to Island Harbour. Thanks to both phone companies – cell phone ranges and communication are very good a few miles offshore. On receiving the stranded fisherman’s call, other fishermen quickly assembled to take a seaworthy, fully fueled and equipped vessel to retrieve the drifting vessel. However, as darkness fell upon their efforts, both the rescuers and the stranded fishermen needed flares to help guide them toward the stranded boat tethered to a trap buoy – the result of some quick thinking soon after the failure.
Regrettably, the flares did not ignite and darkness prevailed. The flares had been carefully stored and were at hand, but they were outdated. As every seaman knows, flare technology is at best on the unreliable side, and old flares are almost always useless. Notwithstanding this setback, the capable fisherman persevered, found the vessel and then towed it safely home without incident.
Anyone experienced at looking for something at sea after dark could explain how the senses of sight and sound over distances are strained. Likewise, when the sea produces erratic motion, these senses are further challenged due to wind and rough wave conditions. This specific incident was also especially stressful, as the boat was at risk of being swamped by a heavy sea and forceful winds. So, time was of the essence, and deliberate action was required to avert any number of unfortunate consequences. Still, the point of telling this story is that our boating villagers are gently reminded to inspect their safety equipment to be fully prepared for every situation, including a sudden need to rescue a fellow fisherman, day or night.
– Contributed
