Despite Salvage Attempt, Spanish Fishing Vessel Sinks in Severe Storm
An attempt to tow the stricken Spanish longliner Itoitz to safety failed when the towline parted, and the vessel has disappeared in worsening storm conditions, according to Spanish rescue authorities.
At about 1050 hours on Monday morning, the Salvamento Maritimo rescue center in A Coruña received a distress call on VHF from a good Samaritan fishing vessel. The crew reported that they had just rescued seven people from another fishing vessel, the Itoitz, which had taken on a severe list. All seven survivors were medevaced by helicopter and delivered safely to A Coruña's local airport. No injuries were reported.
On Monday, an initial attempt to deliver a salvage crew to the fishing vessel's deck by helicopter had to be abandoned because high winds and heavy seas made the insertion unsafe. Under the direction of the Ferrol Maritime Captaincy, the response vessel Maria Pita was dispatched to the scene to provide an escort and evaluate the potential for towage. Conditions were rough: by Tuesday, winds exceeded 30 knots and wave heights were recorded up to 20 feet, too severe for the response vessel to approach Itoitz safely. Wave height moderated somewhat overnight, and Maria Pita's crew attempted to rig a tow line at about 1000 hours on Wednesday, Salvamento Maritimo sources told La Voz de Galicia. The line parted, leaving the vessel adrift once again.
Maria Pita returned to port and was replaced by the rescue tug Alonso de Chaves on scene. Weather conditions deteriorated once more as Itoitz continued to drift, now roughly 40 nautical miles to the north of Ribadeo.
Conditions on scene Thursday (Salvamento Maritimo)
At about 2200 hours on Wednesday night, Itoitz ceased transmitting on AIS and its EPIRB beacon activated, as would be expected in the event of a sinking. The rescue tug Alonso de Chaves located the EPIRB afloat on Thursday afternoon, unattached to the Itoitz, indicating that the fishing vessel was likely lost.
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Severe conditions on scene - with waves of up to 30 feet recorded - prevented the tug's crew from recovering the EPIRB safely. The Alonso de Chaves is standing by on scene, awaiting calmer conditions before approaching the last known position of the abandoned fishing vessel. Rescue coordinators will also dispatch a search aircraft to the site once the weather clears.
"Crew safety and operation efficiency remain our priority," Salvamento Maritimo said in a statement.