Sea bandits rob 2 fishermen, try to sink boat

RECOVERED: The fishing boat
RECOVERED: The fishing boat "Zack" which was found in shallow waters in the Gulf of Paria on Monday, a day after it was stolen by five men who attacked two fishermen who were in the vessel. Photo by Lincoln Holder

FIVE men who robbed two fishermen at sea near La Brea on Sunday night, also tried to sink the fishing vessel after removing its engine worth $33,000.

But on Monday, fishermen from San Fernando spotted the 28-foot boat named "Zack," in shallow waters in the Gulf of Paria near Marabella.

Recognising the boat, they towed it to King’s Wharf in San Fernando. Up to Wednesday, the boat was still at the wharf.

"We saw it near the river's mouth around 11 am on Monday in an area we call the dump. They burst holes in it for it to sink, but it was still visible because of the shallow water. So we dragged it here," a fisherman told Newsday.

A police report said the fishermen, 43 and 54, were fishing near the La Brea jetty at around 8.30 pm when a 24-foot boat with five men approached.

One of the men, brandishing a gun and wearing a ski mask, boarded the fishermen’s boat saying this was a robbery. The boat is worth $45,000.

The gunman ordered the fishermen to switch on the boat's engine and put on their life jackets. He also took their cell phones. After complying, the gunman forced the two men, said to be brothers from La Romaine, to jump overboard.

The boat then sped off towards the Pointe-a-Pierre area.

The victims swam to shore at the Carat Shed beach facility in La Brea and reported the incident to the La Brea police. No one has been arrested, and investigations are ongoing.

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"Sea bandits rob 2 fishermen, try to sink boat"

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