Searches have been called off until the morning for three Indonesian fishermen who “disappeared at sea” after the fishing boat they were sailing in broke up on rocks on Ínsua island, Moledo (in the northern municipality of Caminha).
The shipwreck was called in at around 12.20 this afternoon.
Five men were on the boat, two of whom were rescued by maritime authorities and transported to the nearest hospital (Viana do Castelo).
For now, it is unclear what caused the incident. Everything points to a form of ‘rogue wave’.
Once the alert was sounded, rescue teams set out by boat from Viana do Castelo (the closest lifeboat station) and from Caminha. SIC adds that an Air Force plane took to the air, as did a Spanish Air Force plane – but in spite of several hours of daylight, there was no sign of the missing fishermen.
Fernando Pereira, Caminha ports captain, said that a search of the inside of the boat had also proved fruitless. “For this reason, we are widening our searches to other areas” he said.
The rescued men are described as the boat’s master and an Indonesian. They were both transported to hospital ‘conscious’.
Source: SIC/ LUSA
