The Maritime Air and Cyber Command (MACC) of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is currently conducting search and rescue operations to find 11 fishermen who have been reported missing since Tuesday.
The fishermen departed the Cow Bay area in St Andrew for the Morant Cays in three canoe-type vessels on June 29 and were expected to return on Tuesday.
When the vessels and fishermen failed to arrive and efforts to reach them proved futile, the JDF was contacted on July 4 to begin search and rescue operations.
"All our search and rescue assets are back to full operational status and we have deployed a helicopter from the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing and our offshore patrol vessels from the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard to locate the missing fishermen," the KDF said in a release on Friday.
They appealed to all seafarers to be vigilant and report any sightings of the following vessels:
- A red, white, and blue fishing vessel named BLESSING
- A green and burgundy fishing vessel named PRAYER WARRIOR, and
- A vessel named PRAYER WARRIOR 2
If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of these vessels, please contact the Maritime Air and Operations Centre at (876) 926-8121 extension 4004-6 or 8768361216.
The JDF said it is committed to the safety and security of citizens and will continue tirelessly to bring the missing fishermen home.