Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (Salvamento Maritimo) has located one of the bodies of the two missing crewmembers of the fishing vessel who went missing after their vessel collided with the Russian tanker Midvolga 2.
Following the collision on March 20, the boat El Fairell sank three miles from the Port of Barcelona to a depth of about 160 meters.
The agency has since launched a search for the two missing men, both in their thirties, while the remaining two of the four crew members had been rescued after the incident.
During an underwater inspection of the wreck it has been determined that the two bodies were not inside the ill-fated vessel, however, further search found one body in the wreck’s vicinity. A remotely operated underwater vehicle ( ROV ) has been able to recover the body which has been subsequently hoisted to the surface, the agency said in an update.
Underwater search operations continue, Salvamento Maritime added.
The Russian-flagged ship Midvolga 2 was ordered to remain in the port until the investigation into the incident is completed.
World Maritime News Staff