Seven fishermen stranded at sea for 48 hours in a life raft lived to tell the tale after they were rescued off the coast of Canada.
A fishing boat called the Elite Navigator disappeared with its crew on Wednesday night in the waters near Newfoundland. The vessel was reported missing a day later after transmitting its final signal around 8.30pm on Wednesday, The Canadian Press reported.
The boat caught fire and the crew abandoned it in a life-raft, which drifted into the Atlantic Ocean with the men waiting to be rescued.
A massive search for the men was launched with local fishing vessels, a Hercules aircraft, a Cormorant helicopter, and four Coast Guard ships began looking for the men. Fishing is one of Canada’s most deadly professions, according to the outlet.
The men were rescued on Friday night after searchers spotted a flare, which led them to the liferaft. The men were on the raft for about 50 hours and were 220 kilometers from land.
Eugene Carter, the crew’s captain told the outlet that a fire broke out in a locker on the main deck just a couple of hours into a 25-hour journey home.
“We tried to extinguish the fire once, and then it just shot right back at us,” the captain told the outlet. “It’s like wood burning. We heard the cracking. So we knew that it was pretty serious and that it was out of our control.”
Carter said he sent out three distress calls, all of which went unanswered. “The fire probably melted the devices, stuff like that, wouldn’t allow it.”
One of the fishermen didn’t know how to swim and was encouraged to jump from the boat after his comrades said they would grab him and pull him onto the vessel.
“It was either jump and risk drowning or stay and be burned,” Toby Peddle told the news agency. “There was no time to think about it. I just knew I had to jump.” He continued: “I was relieved I made it to the raft. I couldn’t swim a stroke to save my life.”
The men spent part of their time on the raft telling jokes, and passing a flashlight around as if they were interviewing each other.
“It was unbelievable, but everybody kept their cool to the most that they could,” Carter said.
By Friday, some of the men started to become pessimistic about their chances of being rescued. Carter said he had two flares left but decided to wait until the foggy sky cleared before using them.
He set off the first one and said nothing happened for a few hours. Later, a helicopter flew right over the raft. He lit his last flare and waved it at the helicopter.
“They didn’t see it, and that was my last flare, Carter said. “But a coast guard ship was actually looking out and seen it. And that’s what got us rescued, my last flare.”
Officials in the New-Wes-Valley put together a parade for the men on Sunday. Several people made signs reading: “Welcome home Lucky 7.”
