Two fishermen – one Portuguese and one Spaniard – have been confirmed dead while five others are still missing in the ongoing rescue operation in Asturias following the sinking of Portuguese fishing boat Santa Ana.
Meantime, a Portuguese fishermen is one of two men rescued since the boat ran into trouble in the early hours of this morning.
Registered in Leixões, and crewed by nine (two Portuguese, five Spanish and two Indonesians), it ran into difficulties near the little island of Ebrosa, near Cabo Peñas. A respresentative of the Spanish company running the boat said the accident was caused by low-lying rocks which must have broken through the boat’s hull.
The accident happened just a few miles from where the boat put out before 5am this morning.
As air and sea rescue operations went ahead throughout the day, the remains of the Santa Ana boat bobbed on the water’s surface.
A Spanish crewmember was the first to be plucked from the water alive and airlifted to shore for medical attention.
It is thought that four of the missing men are from Galicia, but details are still coming through.
The Santa Ana was working for a Spanish company, Pescas Balayo.
The Portuguese crewmember rescued has been named as 50-year-old Manuel Simão Sande.
