Long fishing boat named Villa de Pitanxo a Spanish trawler sank in rough waters off eastern Canada where four fishermen died and 17 were missing.

On 15th February, 2022 Tuesday, long fishing boat named Villa de Pitanxo a Spanish trawler sank in rough waters off eastern Canada on which Spanish and Canadian officials said, at least four fishermen died and 17 were missing in this. Canada’s Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said, three crew members was saved by Rescuers after the boat went down about 460 kilometres east of Newfoundland.

The Spanish Transport Ministry also said there were 24 crew members on board the vessel-16 Spanish nationals, five Peruvians and three from Ghana. Further from the ministry it is said, The Villa de Pitanxo, a 50-metre fishing vessel that is based in Spain’s north-western Galicia region, sent out two distress calls that were received at 5.24 am in Madrid.

After few hours later, another Spanish fishing vessel that was in the area saw two life rafts, one of which was carrying three survivors and several bodies.

Rescued

After few hours later, another Spanish fishing vessel that was in the area saw two life rafts, one of which was carrying three survivors and several bodies.

On this Maica Larriba a representative of Spain’s central government in the Galicia region said that, “In one, there were just three survivors who were in a state of hypothermic shock because the temperature of the water is horrible, very low”. Ms Larriba said the survivors had been flown to safety by a Canadian coastguard helicopter and that rescuers had found two other life rafts that were “totally empty”, while searching for a third.

But the Canadian rescuers said they hoped more survivors could be found. Brian Owens of the Canadian rescue centre said, “The fact that we have already found three survivors in a life raft gives us that hope that others were able to either get into their survival suits, get into life rafts and get off the vessel”.

Canadian rescuers had sent a helicopter, a military plane, a coastguard ship and several boats to search for the missing crew members, Mr Owens added. He also said that, “The weather right now is challenging for the search. It’s approximately four-metre waves and visibility is down to approximately one quarter nautical mile”.

Boat Sinks Off

Canadian rescuers had sent a helicopter, a military plane, a coastguard ship and several boats to search for the missing crew members, Mr Owens added.

It was not immediately clear what caused the boat to founder. “We certainly could be talking about one of the saddest days for Galician fishing in its entire history,” said, the head of the Shipowner’s Co-operative in the north-western Spanish city of Vigo Javier Touza.

After this incident everyone expresses their views on this. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted “We are following with concern the search and rescue operation for the crew of the Galician ship that sunk in the waters of Newfoundland. All my love to their families. The government remains in constant contact with rescue services.”

Ms Diaz also tweeted “Bad news is reaching us from the other side of the Atlantic”. Talking about the boat it was founded in 1950, and the company has eight freezer trawlers and about 300 employees working on it, with vessels operating off the Canadian coast, in the South Atlantic and off the western coast of Africa.

Pedro Sanchez

Talking about the boat it was founded in 1950, and the company has eight freezer trawlers and about 300 employees working on it, with vessels operating off the Canadian coast, in the South Atlantic and off the western coast of Africa.