end of research after the sinking of a Spanish boat in the Atlantic

Nine dead, twelve missing presumably deceased and three survivors. The Canadian authorities announced the cessation, Wednesday evening, February 16, of the search to find the victims of the sinking of a Spanish trawler off their coasts. This is the biggest tragedy in Spanish fishing for almost 40 years.

the Pitanxo Villa, a 50-meter-long trawler based in the small port of Marín, in Galicia, in northwestern Spain, sank on Tuesday morning 450 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, in the icy waters of the ‘Atlantic. Twenty-four sailors were on board.

“Unfortunately, at 4 p.m. (9 p.m. in Paris), after an exhaustive search for more than 36 hours, the search for the 12 missing fishermen was suspended”announced the Canadian center for coordination and rescue.

Only three sailors suffering from hypothermia were rescued on Tuesday by a Spanish fishing boat and were evacuated by helicopter. Nine sailors, and not ten as initially announced by the rescue services, were found dead.

Rescuers covered an area of ​​approximately 1,700 square kilometers “but that didn’t work”, added a spokesman for the rescuers. Canada had mobilized a plane, a helicopter and several boats which had to face, during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, “ten-meter waves” and very strong winds, said the spokesperson.