By: Andrew Carmichael
Two fishermen, who were lost at sea and rescued four days after they had set sail, in recounting the harrowing experience, said they will not be returning despite having 20 years’ experience at sea.
On Friday morning, 35-year-old Keston Fordyce of Golden Grove, West Coast Berbice, and 37-year-old Lincoln Culley of Catherine village, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, left the port at Abary at about 5:00h and were expecting to return in the afternoon with their catch.
They went into the Atlantic and headed east before dropping their seine.
However, a storm during the course of the day pushed them out into the Atlantic and westwards.
Fordyce, who was the captain of the boat, said when the storm was over, he did know where he was but there was no sight of land.
While family members got worried as the men did not return as expected neither on Friday afternoon nor in the evening, Culley said the area got dark as a result of the storm, which resulted in heavy lightning and loud thunder during the afternoon hours.
“We were trying to reach in but the whole course change and we end up outside and then the gas finish.”
He said they were able to use a device that showed them the direction they needed to go in order to get back to the port.
“We went out so far that we had to lose the seine because he had no gas.” He explained that they used a sail to get the boat moving but it only took them further out in the ocean.
“We see boats and we wave but nobody coming,” the fisherman revealed.
The men drifted past the mouth of the Demerara River and were in deep waters somewhere off the Essequibo Coast when Fordyce gave up hope, knowing that they could only depend on a miracle since there was no gasoline and the wind was pushing them further out at sea.
“And the breeze start to carry us away and I lose it and he [Culley] said, ‘you go in the cabin and relax yourself’ and I hold on on my head saying I gon dead like a hog,” Fordyce revealed.
According to him, even though they had a half-pack of crackers, he did not have the urge to eat anything. In fact, for the three days, he ate nothing.
Fordyce expressed disappointment at the way they were treated by other fishermen who operate in the vicinity of the Upper Essequibo.
“A boat pass near to us and we wave to them and they just go away so from then we feel like we can’t make it ashore anymore because of the distance that we are at,” Fordyce added.
However, the two men at sea – one giving up and the other holding on for a miracle – eventually were approached by some fishermen who gave them a little assistance.
Fordyce said they were given a little bit of gasoline, which was not enough to take them to shore, but more importantly, they were shown the direction to Guyana.
The boat captain said using his wisdom and experience, he navigated the boat in a south-eastern direction to where he was advised to go.
“I take me own knowledge and go in this direction so when the gas finish I would turn back the bow and so that we would meet back there.”
Doing just that, Fordyce said they arrived at an uninhabited part of an island at the mouth of the Essequibo River but at the time, he did not know where he was.
Nevertheless, they pulled through the thick vegetation and realised that they were on an animal farm.
“We sleep right there till morning then a boat come and take us to Essequibo and from there, we go to the station.”
According to Fordyce, it was not until Monday evening that they reached home.
“It is hard for a man to get me to go back there because of what I pass through… I pass through death and it is tight for me to go back to sea,” he said.
Meanwhile, Culley also expressed similar sentiments, saying during their time at sea, he never gave up hope.
“Sometimes given the situation you just have to relax and focus on what has to happen. Forget about everything else and just keep your strength so if anything should happen, you have the strength to deal with it… For me, I don’t plan to go back to sea. Maybe years from now but not for now,” he said.
About 17 years ago, the two men had an experience which also resulted in them running out of gas before reaching port. However, after that storm was over, Fordyce took the boat to shallow waters and they had to push the boat in waist–high waters until they were able to get help.
