MONTEGO BAY, St James – The three St Mary fishers who went missing Saturday were rescued at sea yesterday morning by a crew of St James fishermen in waters about 25 miles off the coast of Montego Bay.

The three – Clive Eccleston, 48, Judson Smith, 28, and Winston Dixon, 36, all of Port Maria, St Mary – set out on a fishing expedition Saturday morning and were expected back later that afternoon.

However, when the three failed to return, the marine police and the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard were alerted and a search launched for them.

Yesterday, the men said their boat ran out of petrol at sea Saturday, and that the small amount of food and water they brought, for what they expected to be a 12-hour trip at sea, also ran out. They said they survived on drinking seawater during the ordeal.

In their bid to return to land, the trio said they made makeshift oars and set sail using tarpaulin they had in the boat.

“Whole night last night (Monday) the three a we a paddle and this morning (yesterday) we a paddle said way,” Dixon told the Observer yesterday.

He added: “The man them (Montego Bay fishermen) see we about 10:30. If them never see we all now we would be out there because all we a paddle we can’t reach because the breeze a carry we down back.”