Seven missing Canadian fishermen have returned home after a fishing vessel caught on fire and sank. The community in New-Wes-Valley, Newfoundland, says this was a miracle. Sources across Canada have shared that locals have been chatting about the event and are high-spirited for the fishermen who spent over 48 hours in a life raft in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The crew was found by search and rescue after the F/V Elite Navigator vanished on Wednesday night. The Canadian Coast Guard told sources that the vessel had transmitted its final signal on Thursday at around 8:30 p.m. and was reported missing. A vast search followed, with the Coast Guard vessels, a Cormorant helicopter, a Hercules aircraft, and the local fishing community aboard their vessels, all united in support. Thick fog covered the area, making the search significantly more difficult. 

“It’s once in a lifetime you’ll see something like this when all the people survive,” Frank Granter, a retired Canadian Coast Guard employee for 35 years, told the National Post. Granter was walking through the seaside community of New-Wes-Valley ahead of an evening parade to celebrate the men’s survival of the accident.

The fishermen have been referred to as the ‘Lucky 7,” “But in October, November, it would have been a different story,” Granter noted.  On Friday night, searchers saw a light from a flare, which then brought them to the Lucky 7’s life raft. Among the group was commercial fisherman Toby Peddle, who was terrified to jump from the fishing boat as it sank. He said he didn’t have a survival suit and couldn’t swim.

He said in an interview on Sunday, “It was either jump or risk drowning or stay and be burned. There was no time to think about it. I just knew I had to jump.” He also shared that the captain and another crew member, Jordan Lee King, had planned to reach him as soon as they hit the water.

“Jordan had told me, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll catch you before you even get in the water.’” And as promised, King had kept Peddle afloat just as he jumped in the water. He praised Captain Eugene Carter’s actions, sharing that he did the best job possible in the situation handed to the crew. “He kept everyone calm in the life raft for over 48 hours. He’s a hero,” Peddle shared.

New-Wes Valley is one of three small fishing communities on Newfoundland’s northeast coast. Its population is slightly over two thousand. After the events of this past week, the community, Town Council, and Staff came together, postponing annual events to support the family and crew of the Elite Navigator.

The Lucky 7 told CBC Canada they plan to get back to sea as soon as possible. Some of the crew stated that they would be ready to head out fishing the next day, and some said they would need a couple of days before they would be ready again. “I don’t want the fish to get away, right?” Carter told sources.

To help the fishermen replace their missing items and gear, visit their GoFundMe.