Nicaragua Fishing tragedy

Jiquilillo is a small fishing village located in Northwestern Nicaragua on the Pacific coast. Tourism is a growth industry but most of the families fish for a living.
They fish from small 20’ boats powered by 75 hp outboards. The norm is to go out at sunset, five to a boat, and travel some 30 miles for the fish. They bring enough water for the overnight trip and return in the morning most of the time with a good haul of snapper, white fish and sometimes shark.
On this day, an offshore wind, traditional for the time of the year, began to blow. Most of the fisherman reluctantly stayed on shore, occupying them selves hand line fishing off the beach or cracking coconuts. One of the poorer fishing families decided to chance it, to go out, in spite of warnings of the dangers. On board, The father as Captain, his son, and three nephews. All but the father were quite young. The teenagers, brave enough to risk the unknown, but not old or wise enough to fear the Ocean when appropriate.
This was to be the son’s first overnight trip. The rest except for the Father, were also inexperienced in the ways of the Pacific Ocean. A small old boat, with a motor reluctant to start the day before, less than a full load of gasoline. Each by itself should have been red flags.
By morning a strong offshore gale was blowing. The kind that blows sand in your eyes and knocks the tops off of waves. By late morning the following day, the family started to gather along the shore looking for that tiny speck on the horizon that would grow into a boat with five people. The following day search boats braved the wind and went out to their limit of 40 miles, hoping for the very unlikely.
At sunset, the family would gather at the shore praying for a miracle. Other villagers came and joined them in prayer.
No one was found. Most likely they ran out of gas fighting against the wind trying to return or capsized in the large waves. It was said that the boat, due to the strong northern currents, would most likely wash up on a Mexican beach some time in the future perhaps months away. This was the first fishing fatality in twenty years for the village. The family, brutally devastated will go on. The Village helps out the family with food and emotional support. The foreigners present who bore witness to the tragedy gave cash. The small children of the family get new school uniforms, where none was afforded before.

Jiquilillo is a small fishing village located in Northwestern Nicaragua on the Pacific coast. Tourism is a growth industry but most of the families fish for a living.
They fish from small 20’ boats powered by 75 hp outboards. The norm is to go out at sunset, five to a boat, and travel some 30 miles for the fish. They bring enough water for the overnight trip and return in the morning most of the time with a good haul of snapper, white fish and sometimes shark.
On this day, an offshore wind, traditional for the time of the year, began to blow. Most of the fisherman reluctantly stayed on shore, occupying them selves hand line fishing off the beach or cracking coconuts. One of the poorer fishing families decided to chance it, to go out, in spite of warnings of the dangers. On board, The father as Captain, his son, and three nephews. All but the father were quite young. The teenagers, brave enough to risk the unknown, but not old or wise enough to fear the Ocean when appropriate.
This was to be the son’s first overnight trip. The rest except for the Father, were also inexperienced in the ways of the Pacific Ocean. A small old boat, with a motor reluctant to start the day before, less than a full load of gasoline. Each by itself should have been red flags.
By morning a strong offshore gale was blowing. The kind that blows sand in your eyes and knocks the tops off of waves. By late morning the following day, the family started to gather along the shore looking for that tiny speck on the horizon that would grow into a boat with five people. The following day search boats braved the wind and went out to their limit of 40 miles, hoping for the very unlikely.
At sunset, the family would gather at the shore praying for a miracle. Other villagers came and joined them in prayer.
No one was found. Most likely they ran out of gas fighting against the wind trying to return or capsized in the large waves. It was said that the boat, due to the strong northern currents, would most likely wash up on a Mexican beach some time in the future perhaps months away. This was the first fishing fatality in twenty years for the village. The family, brutally devastated will go on. The Village helps out the family with food and emotional support. The foreigners present who bore witness to the tragedy gave cash. The small children of the family get new school uniforms, where none was afforded before.

Jiquilillo is a small fishing village located in Northwestern Nicaragua on the Pacific coast. Tourism is a growth industry but most of the families fish for a living.
They fish from small 20’ boats powered by 75 hp outboards. The norm is to go out at sunset, five to a boat, and travel some 30 miles for the fish. They bring enough water for the overnight trip and return in the morning most of the time with a good haul of snapper, white fish and sometimes shark.
On this day, an offshore wind, traditional for the time of the year, began to blow. Most of the fisherman reluctantly stayed on shore, occupying them selves hand line fishing off the beach or cracking coconuts. One of the poorer fishing families decided to chance it, to go out, in spite of warnings of the dangers. On board, The father as Captain, his son, and three nephews. All but the father were quite young. The teenagers, brave enough to risk the unknown, but not old or wise enough to fear the Ocean when appropriate.
This was to be the son’s first overnight trip. The rest except for the Father, were also inexperienced in the ways of the Pacific Ocean. A small old boat, with a motor reluctant to start the day before, less than a full load of gasoline. Each by itself should have been red flags.
By morning a strong offshore gale was blowing. The kind that blows sand in your eyes and knocks the tops off of waves. By late morning the following day, the family started to gather along the shore looking for that tiny speck on the horizon that would grow into a boat with five people. The following day search boats braved the wind and went out to their limit of 40 miles, hoping for the very unlikely.
At sunset, the family would gather at the shore praying for a miracle. Other villagers came and joined them in prayer.
No one was found. Most likely they ran out of gas fighting against the wind trying to return or capsized in the large waves. It was said that the boat, due to the strong northern currents, would most likely wash up on a Mexican beach some time in the future perhaps months away. This was the first fishing fatality in twenty years for the village. The family, brutally devastated will go on. The Village helps out the family with food and emotional support. The foreigners present who bore witness to the tragedy gave cash. The small children of the family get new school uniforms, where none was afforded before.

Jiquilillo is a small fishing village located in Northwestern Nicaragua on the Pacific coast. Tourism is a growth industry but most of the families fish for a living.
They fish from small 20’ boats powered by 75 hp outboards. The norm is to go out at sunset, five to a boat, and travel some 30 miles for the fish. They bring enough water for the overnight trip and return in the morning most of the time with a good haul of snapper, white fish and sometimes shark.
On this day, an offshore wind, traditional for the time of the year, began to blow. Most of the fisherman reluctantly stayed on shore, occupying them selves hand line fishing off the beach or cracking coconuts. One of the poorer fishing families decided to chance it, to go out, in spite of warnings of the dangers. On board, The father as Captain, his son, and three nephews. All but the father were quite young. The teenagers, brave enough to risk the unknown, but not old or wise enough to fear the Ocean when appropriate.
This was to be the son’s first overnight trip. The rest except for the Father, were also inexperienced in the ways of the Pacific Ocean. A small old boat, with a motor reluctant to start the day before, less than a full load of gasoline. Each by itself should have been red flags.
By morning a strong offshore gale was blowing. The kind that blows sand in your eyes and knocks the tops off of waves. By late morning the following day, the family started to gather along the shore looking for that tiny speck on the horizon that would grow into a boat with five people. The following day search boats braved the wind and went out to their limit of 40 miles, hoping for the very unlikely.
At sunset, the family would gather at the shore praying for a miracle. Other villagers came and joined them in prayer.
No one was found. Most likely they ran out of gas fighting against the wind trying to return or capsized in the large waves. It was said that the boat, due to the strong northern currents, would most likely wash up on a Mexican beach some time in the future perhaps months away. This was the first fishing fatality in twenty years for the village. The family, brutally devastated will go on. The Village helps out the family with food and emotional support. The foreigners present who bore witness to the tragedy gave cash. The small children of the family get new school uniforms, where none was afforded before.