The Western Regional Marine Police Command has intensified efforts to locate a missing fishing canoe, Second Chance, and its seven crew members after the vessel failed to return from a fishing expedition offshore Axim.
The search operation involves the Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Fisheries Commission, relevant coastal police stations and fishing communities along the coast.
In a press release dated October 20, 2026, and signed by the Head of the Western Regional Police Command’s Public Affairs Unit, Chief Superintendent of Police Olivia Et Adiku, the Police said the various agencies are collaborating to establish the canoe’s last known position and determine the whereabouts of the crew.
According to the Police, the owner of the canoe, Nana Kweku Atta, reported the disappearance at the Fishing Harbour Police Station in Sekondi on October 18, 2026.
The report indicated that Second Chance departed the Sekondi Fishing Harbour on October 9, 2026, for a fishing expedition offshore Axim in the Western Region.
However, the canoe had not returned by the time the owner reported the matter, raising concerns about the safety of the seven people on board.
Preliminary investigations have also revealed that repeated attempts to contact the crew members were unsuccessful, leaving their whereabouts unknown.
As of October 20, when the Police issued the statement, the canoe’s last known position had yet to be confirmed.
The Police said a subsequent update suggested that the canoe might have suffered engine failure while at sea and drifted towards Tema and the Volta coast.
However, authorities have not confirmed the suspected mechanical fault or established the vessel’s actual location.
The uncertainty surrounding the canoe’s position has prompted the involvement of several maritime and security agencies to widen the search along the coast.
The Western Naval Command, Ghana Maritime Authority, Fisheries Commission and relevant coastal police stations have been alerted to assist in the operation.
The Eastern Naval Command in Tema has also been notified to support efforts to locate the missing canoe and its crew.
The Police have appealed to fishing communities and other coastal residents to assist the search by providing any information that could help establish the canoe’s whereabouts.
Residents, fishermen and other persons who may have sighted Second Chance or encountered its crew have been urged to report such information to the nearest police station.
The Police say information from communities along the coastline could prove important in helping the relevant agencies trace the canoe’s movements and establish its last known position.
The authorities are continuing to work with their partner agencies to locate the vessel and account for the seven crew members.
The disappearance of Second Chance has left the whereabouts of its seven crew members uncertain, with authorities yet to confirm what happened to the canoe after it departed Sekondi Fishing Harbour.
Investigations and search efforts are ongoing as the Police and the other agencies seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.
The Police have urged the public to cooperate with the search operation by promptly reporting any credible information that could assist in locating the missing canoe and its crew.
By 1960news.com
