Good Samaritan Vessel Rescues 19 Fishermen After Vessel Fire off Chile

 

19 fishermen have been rescued from a raft in the South Pacific after their vessel caught fire and sank. 

The Galician longliner Pico Tresmares got under way from Vacamonte, Chile on February 23, bound for sea. On the morning of March 17, the vessel sustained an engine room fire at a position about 1,000 miles off the coast of La Serena, Chile. A nearby fishing vessel, the Playa Muino Vello, reported the fire to shipowner Pesquera Guadalquivir. The alert was passed to Spanish SAR authorities in Madrid.

The crew of the Pico Tresmares could not contain the rapidly-spreading fire, and were forced to abandon ship into their life rafts. The fishing vessel subsequently capsized and sank. 

A good Samaritan vessel, the longliner Avó Músico, responded to the scene. In stormy conditions, the longliner's crew rescued all 19 survivors from Pico Tresmares, and no injuries were reported. 

The survivors will be transferred to another fishing vessel operated by Pesquera Guadalquivir, according to Spanish media.