The Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder (NNS) rescued around 250 people—including children—who were involved in a boat accidents last Sunday. The incident happened near the Buguma waterways in Rivers State’s Asari-Toru Local Government Area.
The MV Precious Emmanuel, a cargo boat carrying millions of naira worth of commodities from Sangana in Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, to Nembe jetty in Port Harcourt, overturned last Sunday at 10:30 p.m. after colliding with a wreck, according to information obtained by GTN.
Additionally, it was learned that the cargo boat was transporting lots of crates of alcoholic beverages in addition to baskets filled with smoked fish, crayfish, and plantains.
Speaking about the incident, Commodore Desmond Igbo, Commander of NNS Pathfinder, stated that the prompt reaction of Nigerian Navy personnel prevented any casualties from being reported.
He underlined how important it is for marine enthusiasts and other water travellers to follow safety precautions, especially wearing life jackets.
He said, “Our soldiers went into search and rescue mode as soon as the situation occurred. No casualty was reported, and none of them were even hurt, to the glory of God and our men’s prompt action. As part of its mission, the navy is tasked with protecting lives in addition to combating maritime crimes and oil theft. We have been emphasising safety and requiring everyone travelling by boat to wear a life jacket, but as you can see, none of them were wearing one when they were on that boat. It is important to inform you that the NNS Pathfinder has documented a procedure to establish an Emergency Maritime Unit in the state. You may recall that we started the emergency rescue at sea. We urge the government to intervene and set up a fully functional maritime rescue team.
Samuel Ikpe, one of the victims who survived the accident, claimed to have lost items valued at more than N1.5 million. He urged the government to assist them since they had lost their means of survival and praised the Nigerian Navy for rescuing them.
Since the boat was a house boat, Ikpe, whose wife and one-year-old child were also rescued, claimed they were accustomed to not wearing life jackets when transporting items from any region of Bayelsa State to Port Harcourt.
“We left Sangana by 4:30 p.m. and arrived at this location where the incident happened around 10:30 p.m.,” he stated.I sincerely thanked the Nigerian Navy for saving us; without their involvement, my one-year-old son almost drowned.
