Seven men were found on a raft at sea, miraculously surviving a shipwreck (3 photos)

Despite all the difficulties, the crew maintained a positive attitude - this is what, in their opinion, played a key role in survival.





Seven fishermen from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, were rescued after being adrift in the Atlantic Ocean for nearly three days. The crew of the Elite Navigator was forced to abandon their ship due to a fire that could not be contained.

“In five minutes, seven people were in a life raft, surrounded by fire,” says Captain Eugene Carter about the dramatic moments of the evacuation.

Finding themselves on the high seas with limited resources, the fishermen tried their best to survive. Water supplies quickly dried up, and thick fog complicated search efforts. However, despite all the difficulties, the crew maintained a positive attitude - this is what, in their opinion, played a key role in survival.

“We joked around and interviewed each other by flashlight, trying to stay hopeful,” Carter adds.



Help arrived late on Friday, July 19, as sailors fired the last flare that was spotted by a rescue helicopter. The search operation involved four coast guard vessels, a helicopter, an airplane and volunteers on fishing boats.

The return of the victims to their hometown of New Wes Valley turned into a real celebration. Hundreds of local residents greeted them on the piers with balloons, banners and confetti.

The mayor of the village, Michael Tiller, called the rescue operation a real miracle and emphasized how excited people were by this event, because in a small town “everyone knows everyone.”

The crew members, in turn, thanked them for the rescue and said they were ready to return to work. None of them were injured.

“I’m ready to go to work tomorrow,” said David Lee Tiller, one of the rescued men.