CEN/@SEMAR_mxTwo fishermen have been rescued after finding refuge in a floating fridge when their boat sank in the Gulf of Mexico.
The crew members had been on board a shipping vessel named Adriana, which set off from the San Pedro area of the southern Mexican state of Tabasco on Thursday, December 5.
The following day, authorities received a call to say the Adriana had been spotted half-sunk.
Check out the rescue of the two fishermen here:
After receiving the call, authorities activated their rescue protocol and a ship named Defender was sent to search for the crew, along with a helicopter that searched for stranded passengers from the skies.
Somehow, the two fishermen seen in the above video had managed to climb into a floating fridge to avoid the salty ocean. The kitchen appliance didn’t have a door, so as it bobbed in the ocean it made an ideal makeshift boat.
It’s unclear whether the fridge had come from the ship or whether the crew members happened to come across it in the ocean, but either way it proved essential to helping the fishermen keep their heads above water.
CEN/@SEMAR_mxFootage shared by Mexico’s Marine Secretary showed one of the rescuers swimming through the waves towards the makeshift vessel where the two men were found.
The fridge was then pulled towards the Defender before the two crew members were lifted to safety.
According to local media, the rescue ship took the two men to a port where an ambulance was waiting for them. The pair were then taken to the Navy hospital for treatment, though there have been no updates on their condition.
CEN/@SEMAR_mxIt is not yet known why the Adriana sank so soon after setting off from Tabasco, though the authorities did an incredible job in rescuing the two fishermen.
It’s unclear how many crew were on board at the time and whether anyone is still missing as a result of the sinking ship, and as such authorities may still be searching for other crew members.
Hopefully everyone involved will make a full and fast recovery.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.