Two fishermen named Antonio Sabino and Osorio Pires, hailing from Neves in Saô Tomé and Príncipe, were rescued on Sunday in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, located in Southern Nigeria. They had been lost in the Atlantic Ocean for five days.
A trawler operating in the Gulf of Guinea spotted the Portuguese-speaking fishermen and rescued them. They were then handed over to local fishermen from Okpoama-Brass, who brought them safely to shore.
The rescued Sao Tomean fishermen were taken to the Okpoama Divisional Police Headquarters, where they were received by Chief Superintendent of Police Ebimiesigha Bebetu. The chairman of the Okpoama Kingdom Security Committee, Munalayefa William-Sinte, mentioned that the fishermen appeared malnourished. However, they were provided with food and clothing before being handed over to the police.
It is worth noting that back in 2019, the bodies of two male fishermen from Saô Tomé and Príncipe were discovered in a decomposing state on a fishing boat that had drifted ashore in Okpoama.
