One missing after seiner capsizes off Santander, Spain

One missing after seiner capsizes off Santander, Spain

SPAIN WEEK
Maremi (Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Gaspar Luis Prieto Garcia)

One person has been reported as missing after a fishing boat with 10 people on board capsized in the waters off Santander along Spain’s northern coast on Thursday, July 15.

The crew of the 23-metre purse seiner Maremi were in the process of collecting their fishing gear when their vessel suddenly keeled over some 14 kilometres north of Santander’s Cabo Mayor lighthouse at around 05:00 local time.

Some Good Samaritan fishing vessels sailed to the area to render assistance. Their crews then successfully rescued nine of the 10 fishermen who were on board the seiner when it capsized.

One individual, who has been identified as Maremi‘s 54-year-old chief officer, is unaccounted for.

Mr Guillermo Blando, the rural development and fisheries minister of Spain’s Cantabria autonomous region, has told local media that there is a possibility the missing individual is still on board the overturned vessel, which eventually sank to a depth of 150 metres at 16:25 on Thursday.

The country’s Salvamento Maritimo search and rescue agency has despatched a boat and a helicopter while the Guardia Civil police force has deployed divers as part of the ongoing effort to attempt to locate the missing chief officer.

Click here to see all vessel reviews, features, and news stories as part of this month’s Spain Week.


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