After more than a week adrift in the open ocean off South America’s northeast coast, five of the six fishermen from the missing Trinidadian fishing vessel *St Vincent VII* have finally returned to their home communities, following a coordinated cross-border rescue and repatriation operation led by defense officials from Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
According to an official statement released by Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Defence on Thursday, the repatriation process moved steadily through the day. A Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard flight, designated Flight 216, first landed at Argyle International Airport in Saint Vincent just after 1:30 p.m. Thursday to pick up the rescued crew, who had been held there for medical evaluation and processing after their initial rescue. The flight then carried the fishermen north, arriving at Piarco International Airport in Trinidad at approximately 4:30 p.m. the same day.
Once the plane touched down in Trinidad, the five surviving crew members underwent mandatory entry processing by officials from the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Homeland Security, per the ministry’s release. After all entry protocols were completed, arrangements were made for ground transportation to take the men from the Ulric Cross Air Station to their respective homes, and the group departed just after 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar publicly acknowledged the collaborative effort that brought the men home, issuing a formal note of thanks to the government and people of Saint Vincent for the care and assistance they extended to the stranded fishermen throughout the rescue and holding process. Persad-Bissessar, alongside Defence Minister Wayne Sturge, also offered public gratitude to Chief of Defence Staff Commodore Don Polo and his entire team for their efficient coordination and leadership in organizing the retrieval and repatriation of the surviving crew.
Local news outlet *Trinidad Express* was able to confirm the joyful homecoming independently Thursday, when reporter contacted Amanda Suraj, wife of crew member Shannon “Joey” Mohammed. Suraj confirmed her husband had returned safely, adding that she had spoken to him via a brief WhatsApp call early Thursday morning, before his official arrival. In that call, Mohammed shared the harrowing details of how the crew survived their 10 days adrift: the group survived on just 28 small packets of water and a small stock of burned biscuits, with no other access to food or fresh water for more than a week.
The *St Vincent VII* had set sail from Chaguaramas, Trinidad, on July 6 for a fishing expedition targeting yellowfin tuna. The vessel lost all communications and went missing off the coast of French Guiana just over a week later, leaving the six-member crew adrift with no way to call for help. The crew included Mohammed, Eshwar Persaud, Anthony Murray, Kevin “Dougla” Fournillio, Alex (who was only identified by his first name), and a national of Saint Vincent.
The Saint Vincent Coast Guard located and rescued the five surviving crew members on Tuesday night, according to the defence ministry’s release. Tragically, just hours after the rescue was completed, one crew member — Anthony Murray — died from health complications brought on by his time adrift. Following the rescue, the surviving fishermen received preliminary medical treatment and were housed in a local Saint Vincent hotel while officials arranged their repatriation to Trinidad.