Three Newfoundland fishermen are safe and sound in their home province, following a dramatic rescue when their boat sank off Cape Breton.
The crew issued a mayday call around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when their boat started taking on water more than 20 kilometres off the coast of Glace Bay.
The three fishermen scrambled into a life-raft before their boat turned upside down and quickly sank.
Herb Nash was among the rescuers on board a Canadian Coast Guard auxiliary ship that brought the men back to shore in Glace Bay.
“They were in good shape,” says Nash. “They were a bit wet and they were a bit nervous because of the fog and the wind picking up, but when they got up on the boat, they were the happiest three guys I’ve seen in a long time. They were shaking hands with the other two guys, with my son and David who was with me, telling them that they’re lifesavers.”
The Marine Atlantic Ferry Highlanders also assisted with the rescue, sheltering the rescue effort from the strong wind and waves.
The fishermen later returned home to Newfoundland, on the same ferry that had helped save them.
