Boat burns up at sea - Fishermen now stranded in Colombia

Twenty-eight Jamaican fishermen who are currently in San AndrÈs island, off the Colombian coast, are itching to return home after being rescued at sea last week.

Their vessel caught fire and eventually sunk while they were on a fishing trip.

"We all panic because never in our years of fishing have we ever had this experience. The fire spread in less than five minutes and we were stranded. We had dinghy but it couldn't hold all of us, so about 12 of us had to swim," said captain of the fishing boat, Odane Campbell.

US Coast Guard officials said that at about 11:33 p.m. last Thursday, crew members received a report from the Jamaica Defence Force that a 131-foot fishing boat was on fire and needed emergency assistance.

An enhanced group calling (EGC) message was sent and the crew aboard a 774-foot tanker, Challenge Pollux, responded.

That ship rescued all 28 persons aboard. A Colombian navy ship then arrived and transported the passengers to shore.

GAS DRUM EXPLODED

Speaking from a hotel in San Andres, Campbell said four of the crew are still hospitalised with severe burns and other ailments.

He told THE STAR that they set sail last Thursday when they encountered difficulties 160 miles from Jamaican shores.

"The Delco plant (ignition system) caught fire and the fire quickly spread. We used the fire extinguisher that we had, but it wasn't enough to out so very soon it spread to the gas drum and it exploded. By this time all the fishermen had jumped into the water," he said.

He said they spent the entire night and part of the next day in the water before being rescued. Campbell thanked their Colombian hosts for treating them well.

"Dem put us up in good hotels and offered health care but they are saying that they can't do it anymore. Right now it's church people and some other groups who are giving us food and clothing. Some of them can't even fit but we really appreciate their effort ... we just want to go home to our families," he said.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said the Ministry has been "working assiduously from day one" with the Colombian government. She said the Ministry has been collaborating with the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency to verify nationalities and "will be seeking to formalise arrangements with the government of Colombia for their return as soon as possible".