WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland — The family and friends of the six fishermen who have been missing at sea since last week are still hoping the JDF coastguard will rescue them.

Missing are:

* Herman Campbell,

* cousins, Lincoln and Ephrain Frew;

* Wayne Smith,

* Errol Spence, and

* Raphael Morgan.

The men left the Whitehouse community on Monday night aboard the “The Saint”, a 43 by 10 ft fibre gloss boat, for a fishing expedition at the Pedro Banks.

Missing fisherman Lincoln Frew’s distressed wife Perline (centre) and their daughter Celia (left) with Wayne Smith’s wife Amar (right). (Photos: Phillip Lemonte

Yesterday, Lincoln Frew’s distraught wife Perline and their daughter Celia had to be comforted by members of the Whitehouse community, including Amar Smith whose weight has fallen by eight pounds from 242 since her husband went missing.

Smith said two calls she placed to her husband’s cellular phone at about 5:00 am last Thursday, went directly to his voicemail.

A follow-up call to another member of the fishing team also went unanswered.

Owner of “The Saint”, Herman ‘Cap’ Clarke, thinks the seafarers encountered turbulent waters after leaving the Pedro Banks.

Noting that telephone reception is restricted to between 12 and 15 miles offshore, Clarke explained that radio contact was maintained with the other two boats which set out with the Saint.

The crew members of the two surviving vessels reported that they stayed on anchor throughout Tuesday and Wednesday as they were unable to haul their traps due to the weather. They completed hauling on Friday.

The crew members of the other boat became alarmed when they found that crew members of “The Saint” had only pulled a set of traps at one of two locations. They immediately started searching, without success, for their missing colleagues.

In addition to the JDF Coastguard, other Whitehouse-based fishers are searching.

Some residents have pinned their hopes to the fact that about three decades ago a group of four fishers who went missing for 36 days, survived.

adopted from the Jamaica Observer