The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and officials of Total Energies EP Nigeria Limited have rescued the occupants of a distressed fishing vessel belonging to São Tomé and Príncipe, which was adrift in the ocean for 11 days.

A rescue team from Total Energies, on noticing the distressed vessel at sea around Offshore Operational Field, OML 100, sent signals to the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (RMRCC) located in NIMASA, informing the agency of the situation.

According to NIMASA, the Total team, in line with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Lives at Sea (SOLAS) protocol, promptly initiated a rescue operation and immediately handed over the occupants of the distressed vessel to the agency, while the boat was anchored at OSHE HONMI (OML 100).

Reacting to the development, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, applauded the cooperation between the agency and Total Energies for the swift response, noting that the safety of the maritime sector is central to the mission of the agency.

He said the agency, through its Search and Rescue (SARS) clinic, provided first aid and later comprehensive medical attention to a distressed passenger who speaks only Portuguese and has since been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure he returns to his country.

“We will continue to prioritise the safety of lives and property in the maritime sector, while also embracing collaboration as a tool to actualise our mandate. Safety is everyone’s business; hence, we must continue to preach safety in the day-to-day affairs of the Nigerian maritime sector,” Jamoh said.

He said NIMASA recently acquired five enforcement vessels to enhance its search and rescue operations in the nation’s maritime domain.

He said the SOLAS Convention is an IMO Convention ratified by Nigeria, with NIMASA as the implementing body.