Keston Fordyce, one of the two fishermen who were rescued on Monday after being stranded at sea for three days, on Tuesday, recalled the moment he lost all hope of surviving.
The men drifted at sea for almost 72 hours with no food and water; their boat was without fuel.
“It been rough. Me nah believe me can go back to sea with wah me pass through… me been done give up life already saying how me go dead,” Fordyce told the News Room in an interview on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old man and Lincoln Culley, 37, both of Abary, Region Five left their homes on August 18 for a fishing trip.
The men were expected to return on Friday last and when they didn’t, their families became worried and along with residents of the Mahaicony community, formed a search party.
But despite efforts, there were no sign or word from the men who were eventually rescued on Monday by a passing boat.
Still traumatised by the experience, Fordyce, who has been working as a fisherman since at the age of 15 told the News Room that before they returned to shore on Friday, one of their seines got tangled and he was assisting Culley to untangle it.
At the time, he said it was raining heavily and the wind caused the boat to change direction.
“…The boat give one spin around and like I ain’t really pay attention…which in the direction it went, it went facing to come to the shore…I keep driving,” Fordyce related.
And after sailing for hours, Fordyce said it was then that he realised something was wrong since they were supposed to arrive at their destination.
Upon realizing this, Culley said he switched direction but the fuel later ran out.
“We had to go to a boat and tie on. The boat seh weh we going and I tell he how we lost and he seh we deh till in front Demerara,” he told the News Room.
The next morning, Fordyce said the boat Captain directed them to head east to reach Abary.
“He give we a Crix biscuit and a pot ah coffee and we start drive…by time then me head start hurt cause me is captain long and me know seh dah distance fah the gas left, me can’t reach back shore,” Fordyce further related.
While on the journey, Fordyce said the boat started to drift. And after drifting for a day, Fordyce said they were rescued.
“We waving, waving whole day, whole night we sail to the next morning…then a boat realise like we sailing long…he end up drive come back like a mile and a half, give we a tank of gas, a plait bread and lil bit butter and a one liter cream soda and he seh drive fah go the east side and you go meet some boat on shore,” Fordyce said.
Unsure of where he was heading, Fordyce said he took the risk and started to sail.
“I still tek the chance…we meet to shore like 1 o’ clock (Monday morning),” he said.
Fordyce explained that he and Culley slept on a ranch, which appeared to be situated between two islands Sunday night and on Monday morning they called a boat to get them.
