One fisherman is dead and three others are still missing after a rogue wave rolled the “Mestre Silva” trawler in the early hours of Monday morning 19 kms off the shore of Esmoriz (Ovar).
The boat’s master was miraculously saved by rescuers in an Air Force helicopter.
According to reports, the alarm went out ‘automatically’ thanks to the system dubbed EPIRB, standing for emergency position-indicating radio beacons.
These beacons emit a signal when the boat in question is taking on water, and this alerts maritime authorities.
The tragedy in this story is that by the time rescuers reached the scene, the Mestre Silva had sunk.
Owner Rafael Silva, 54, was in the water, however, already showing signs of hypothermia, but still fit enough to tread water.
He was winched to safety, rushed to the nearby airbase and then transported to hospital.
The missing men include a 64-year-old Portuguese and two Indonesians, aged 33 and 36.
Reacting to the news, a friend of the dead fisherman told reporters that “these little boats that work close to the coast cannot survive rogue waves. They sink before anyone can do anything…”
President Marcelo is reported to have reacted to the news swiftly, sending his condolences and concerns.
