Rescue captain recounts fishermen's ordeal

The fishing boat Grecale, which rescued Simon Bugeja, the sole survivor of the Simshar, returned to Malta this morning. Its master Mark Bugeja pointed to a raft which Simon fashioned in the water by lashing together four floats and a net containing...

July 21, 2008| Times of Malta 1 min read
The raft on which the fishermen rested.The raft on which the fishermen rested.

The fishing boat Grecale, which rescued Simon Bugeja, the sole survivor of the Simshar, returned to Malta this morning.

Its master Mark Bugeja pointed to a raft which Simon fashioned in the water by lashing together four floats and a net containing empty bottles and other floating objects.

He said that Simon Bugeja explained that the Simshar caught fire and took some time to sink, during which time he managed to put some floating material together to form the raft. All the four-man crew and 11-year-old Theo were able to hang on to the raft and were able to rest on it, two at a time.

The first words Simon said on being rescued was that all the others had died. Theo, his son, passed away on Thursday and slipped from his tired arms on Friday morning, a few hours before the rescue.

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