The Ghana Navy has detailed how a fishing canoe, Second Chance, drifted into Beninese waters after suffering an outboard motor failure, leaving seven Ghanaian fishermen stranded at sea for about two weeks before they were rescued through a multinational search-and-rescue operation.
The fishermen arrived safely at the Fishing Harbour in Tema on Thursday, October 22, 2026, following a coordinated operation involving the navies of Ghana, Benin, and Togo, alongside other security and maritime agencies.
Speaking at a press conference in Tema, the Director of Naval Training of the Ghana Navy, Naval Captain Festus Osei-Brobbey, said the Navy received a distress alert from the Fisheries Commission on October 20, reporting that the canoe had suffered engine failure and drifted eastwards towards Togo before entering Beninese waters.
According to him, three Ghana Navy ships were deployed to search for the missing fishermen, while the Navy’s Special Boat Squadron worked with the National Security and the Ghana Air Force to conduct maritime air patrols in support of the operation.
The search also involved the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), the Fisheries Commission, the Marine Police Unit, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), the National Signal Bureau, and the navies of Togo and Benin.
The operation was coordinated under the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy and the Yaoundé Architecture framework, with support from regional maritime coordination centres in Zones E and F, as well as the French Embassy.
Naval Captain Osei-Brobbey said confirmation that the fishermen had been found came at about 10:36 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, when the Ghana Navy was informed that the Beninese Navy had located them.
Ghana Navy Ship Aflao subsequently received the rescued men from a Togolese naval vessel at the Ghana-Togo maritime border at approximately 6:49 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, paving the way for their return to Tema.
Naval Captain Osei-Brobbey confirmed that all seven fishermen were in good condition following their ordeal at sea. They received food and medical attention aboard the Ghanaian naval vessel.
The fishermen have been identified as Kofi Emmanuel, 32; Uncle Amoah, 45; Kwamena Nkum, 29; Kofi Aboagye, 36; Doboa, 35; Agya Badu, 42; and Kwamena Akyem, 40.
The leader of the group, Kwamena Akyem, recounted how the crew relied on prayer while hoping for a safe return.
He said they also threw their catch back into the sea in an effort to reduce the weight of the canoe during the ordeal.
Mr. Akyem expressed gratitude to the governments of Ghana, Benin, and Togo, as well as the agencies that participated in the search-and-rescue mission.
Following their arrival, the Ghana Navy and the GMA provided the fishermen with food, drinking water, toiletries, and other essential supplies. Each fisherman was also given a life jacket, while the GPHA arranged medical examinations.
The GMA additionally provided overnight accommodation and meals for the men ahead of their onward journey to Sekondi.
