A Portuguese fisherman who lost his footing and plunged 30 metres from a cliff-top into the sea at Forte de Beliche, Sagres, miraculously escaped injury and after an hour’s struggle was rescued by colleagues.
The accident happened just before midnight at the Alto de Caganês fishing grounds frequented by rod-and-line fishermen, who are often perched precariously among the crags and crevices of the cliffs.
Forty-five-year old José Nunes, from Odiáxere, who was wearing a lifejacket, slipped on some wet fishing net but managed to avoid impact with the cliff-face as he fell directly into the sea.
The four colleagues with whom he was fishing finally succeeded in pulling him to safety by throwing him a rope.
Despite the impact with the water, José did not need medical treatment and told a newspaper reporter: “I was born once again”.
Lifejackets
The wearing of lifejackets by fishermen in the region of the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina is compulsory.
