Twenty fishermen narrowly escaped death when the fishing boat, "Motor-Boat The Truth" in which they were travelling to Tema Harbour capsized off the coast of Elmina.
The fishermen say the capsized boat with the registration number GR 035 TM has sunk resulting in a cost of more than �250,000.00.
The boat was being taken to Tema for routine maintenance works when the accident occurred.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Secretary of the Ghana Inshore Canoe Fishermen Association, Mr Emmanuel Nii Botchway said only 12 out of the 20 fishermen initially made it to the shore as the rest could not be accounted for.
�We mounted search for the remaining people who we feared dead but fortunately they made it to the shore of Saltpond and were duly rescued by a canoe which was on its way to the shore,� he said.
He said the 20 fishermen were later brought to Sekondi safely and were accordingly given medical attention. They have since been sent to their respective homes.
According to Nii Botchway, upon reaching Elmina waters, the vessel started taking in water and the crew did everything they could to scoop the water out to keep the vessel afloat.
He said unfortunately the inflow was higher than the rate of scooping the water, causing the motor vessel to drastically slow down.
He said at about 5.30 p.m. the vessel could no longer cope and began to sink. The crew subsequently used a smaller life boat to reach safety in groups of eight and 12.
He said unfortunately the crew members were hit by bad weather which split them apart. One group made it to the shore while the other traveled to Saltpond where they were rescued.
He estimated the cost of the boat, including the marine engine and the net at more than �250,000, plus some other personal belongings of the crew which were all lost
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