WHAT started out as a bright and calm afternoon when fishermen from Port Royal set out to sea last Wednesday, quickly turned into chaos off the coast of Clarendon. Out of nowhere, a freak storm shattered the calmness, sweeping across the waters, shaking their boats from side to side and dousing them in torrential rains.

The fishermen described the terrifying experience as a small taste of what Jamaica is scheduled to face with the passage of Hurricane Melissa which is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane.

For Fabian Simpson, the night was a reminder of a similar event on a fishing trip with his stepfather in 2012, but much worse.

“Little breeze just came in from the land, and it met up with the sea breeze. I won’t even lie to you, it’s the first time I’ve seen something like that. I watched the waters basically kiss each other and go up higher and higher. We were trying to hold down the little tarpaulin that we have to cover ourselves, and me nah lie, if I never strap down certain parts of it, probably me and it would end up overboard,” he told the Jamaica Observer about last Wednesday’s experience when Jamaica was still under a tropical storm watch. At the time, the Meteorological Service said all small craft operators, including fishers from the cays and banks, should have been arriving in port to start preparations for safe harbour.

The fisherman told the Sunday Observer that the sky quickly grew dark, enough to impair their vision. In the distance, he said, small rays of light flickered from about seven or more boats that made the journey from Port Royal to Clarendon. Then came torrential rains, and they had no choice but to think quickly and flee the area.

“I [saw] some high seas coming back. I wanted to sleep and cyaa sleep because if it’s not the waves, it’s the breeze and the rocking of the boat. We felt a piece of cold coming back. It was as if we [were] in winter. The water [was] cold and the breeze [was] pushing the rain,” he recounted.

Simpson shared that freak storms like this are normal on the high seas. While they did not anticipate any extreme weather conditions, with forecasts stating that Jamaica would begin experiencing rain on Friday, he said fishermen have to prepare for the worst and learn from each close call. It is their preparation and skills that, he said, made them survive.

“Every experience teaches you a lot of things and at the same time, if it wasn’t for these experiences, you wouldn’t know what to do next time around,” he shared.

Ian Brooks, another fisherman who got caught in the freak storm, said the wind and waves were strong enough to break his anchor, and, recounting a similar experience, he took the familiar steps of pulling up his net, stabilising the boat, and retreating as quickly as possible.

“You have to plan for it. You don’t know what ago happen,” he told the Sunday Observer in reference to the incident.

He added that, of course, praying is an activity they must do during these events, and they always make sure that, in addition to preparing and executing, they thank God for keeping them safe.

While Brooks, Simpson, and other men were able to escape in the middle of the night, others stayed to weather the storm. Alan Williams, who was among the men who stayed until Thursday morning, said the decision was made for their safety.

“There was a whole heap of lightning and we couldn’t see the landmark to come in back, so we just rode it out until daylight and the sunrise, and we came home safe,” he explained.

“The sea [was] on two sides and did a come in the boat left and right, and cover the buoy. We had to bail [the water] out,” he added, staring into the distance as he recounted the events.

The 68-year-old, who has been fishing since he was 18, said, like many of the other fishermen present, the journey was to ensure they had enough fish to sell before the storm so they could purchase hurricane supplies and essentials. With family members and friends waiting for them to return, he said they had to make the decision they thought was right to make it home safely.

“…The sea was very rough, some five to six feet. We got through it, and we came back. We give thanks to Father God [who] guided and protected us, carried us out, and brought us back safe…We have life and can come back to face another time,” said Williams.

He shared that, over the years, fishermen have learned to heed the warning of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica and have, luckily, never been caught in a major hurricane or storm. He said the men have no intention of breaking that streak and are even set on ensuring they avoid rough waters in the future.

Ian Brooks, a fisherman at Port Royal who was among seven others who got caught at sea in bad weather last week Wednesday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Alan Williams looks off into the distance at the calm sea in Port Royal, last week Thursday ahead of the passage of Hurricane Melissa.