Three foreigners rescued after five days adrift in the Colombian Pacific
A maritime unit of the Colombian Navy rescued and assisted three foreigners who were five days adrift at sea, after the boat in which they were fishing had mechanical failures in the engine and the current took them of the coasts of Ecuador to Colombian waters.
Humanitarian assistance came late at night when members of a rapid reaction unit at the Tumaco Coast Guard Station, who were carrying out security and control operations, saw the ship. Immediately began the rescue operation that led to assist the boat named Cheche, 25 nautical miles from Tumaco which had two Venezuelans and an Ecuadorian.
At the time of the rescue, the three men expressed their gratitude to the Coast Guard crew, indicating that they had failures in the boat's engine hours after having sailed from Esmeraldas - Ecuador, to conduct fishing in the waters of that country. After losing the government of the boat they were dragged by the currents and heavy winds to the coasts of the department of Nariño.
Once safe, the crew of the Coast Guard unit provided first aid to the fishermen and later took them to Tumaco, where they were received by medical personnel of the Colombian Navy, who verified their state of health finding them with signs of dehydration and skin burns due to prolonged exposure to the sun. It should be noted that, the foreigners had food which led them to subsist during those days at sea.
“My sincere thanks to the Coast Guard of the Colombian Navy, who helped us get out of the drift, we already had five days adrift, and today thanks to them we are here on land safe and sound, with my companions, truly grateful...”, said the rescued.
The foreigners were handed over to Migración Colombia, who carried out the corresponding procedures for their return to the country of origin.
Source: press-Colombian Navy
