Crew waved frantically for help as vessel vanished beneath rough Atlantic waters – rescued fisherman

Four fishermen who survived after their boat sank off the Atlantic Coast recounted that they spent hours drifting in rough waters while desperately trying to attract the attention of passing vessels. The men were eventually rescued following a coordinated effort involving another fishing crew, volunteers, and members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard after their 45-foot drift seine boat went down during what was supposed to be a routine fishing expedition. Among the survivors is 56-year-old fisherman Kusiram Jagmohan, who said the incident remains the most frightening experience of his more than three decades of working at sea.

According to Jagmohan, the crew had left the Rosignol Fishing Port the previous Friday and traveled several miles offshore when the vessel suddenly began taking in water while they were attempting repairs onboard.
“The whole boat start tek water,” Jagmohan recalled. “I tell the captain the boat gon wrong now… the whole boat full of water.” He recalled that Captain Rashford Vax immediately instructed the crew to put on life jackets and prepare themselves as the vessel was overwhelmed by the rough Atlantic waters.
“So the captain say put on the life jacket and stand by with the jar,” Jagmohan said. “So I start tie up all the water jars and put the bags over the side.”
The veteran fisherman explained that the men desperately tried to secure anything that could help keep them afloat as waves continued to crash against the vessel.
“The water rough,” he said. “Every time I put the bags out, the bags slip out and empty out. So I just jump and hold on to the jar.” Moments later, the boat disappeared beneath the water, leaving the four men stranded at sea, clinging to floating containers and the icebox from the boat while drifting further offshore. Jagmohan said the men spent hours drifting before eventually spotting another vessel in the distance.
“Once I get the bags tie up, I wave them good for half an hour,” he recounted. “We drifting and drifting. Then we finally see one boat and wave them.”
The fishermen were eventually rescued after another fishing crew abandoned its own expedition and began assisting in bringing the men back toward shore before the GDF Coast Guard later took over the operation.
Reports are that the men were located about 13 nautical miles offshore from the Berbice River.
All four fishermen were eventually brought safely back to shore, where anxious relatives had gathered, awaiting news of their fate.
Photographs taken after the rescue showed the exhausted fishermen still clutching the life jackets, which likely played a major role in helping them survive the ordeal. For Jagmohan, the incident was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, despite spending decades working at sea.
“About 30-something years now… first time something like this happen to me,” he said. Meanwhile, the owner of the vessel, Alex Ramoutar, said the incident resulted in the total loss of the boat, engine, and fishing gear. The losses are estimated at approximately $12 million.
Despite the devastating setback, relatives and fellow fishermen expressed gratitude that all four men survived and were able to return home safely.