Four dead and one missing after fishing vessel sinks in waters off Galicia

Four crewmembers died and one went missing after their fishing boat sank off Cabo Fisterra on the coast of Galicia in Spain on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 19.

Vessels and helicopters of the Salvamento Maritimo search and rescue (SAR) agency and some fishing boats that arrived on scene were able to rescue the six surviving crewmembers of the purse seiner Sin Querer Dos following the sinking. All survivors were later brought to hospital to be treated for hypothermia and minor injuries.

The search for the missing crewmember is ongoing as of 14:00 local time on December 20.

Local authorities have declared three days of mourning for the deceased crewmembers.

Galicia came under a yellow level alert indicating wave heights of four to five metres on the day of the sinking. Although the cause of the incident is still under investigation, it has been reported that four- to five-metre waves led to an earlier vessel sinking that claimed three lives in that same area at around this time of year in 2014.