Rescuers off eastern Canada had been searching for 12 victims, with nine confirmed dead and three others plucked alive from the Atlantic Ocean following the sinking of a Spanish trawler | PHOTO: AFP
MAR脥N, Spain 鈥� Rescue teams off eastern Canada ended a search Wednesday for survivors from a sunken Spanish fishing trawler with only three of the boat鈥檚 24-person crew pulled out alive.
Spain was in mourning over the accident, which its agriculture and fisheries minister, Luis Planas, said was 鈥渢he worst tragedy we鈥檝e had in the fishing sector in 38 years鈥�.
Rescuers had been searching for 12 victims, with nine already confirmed dead and three others plucked alive from the Atlantic Ocean after the trawler sank in bad weather.
鈥淭he search for the 12 missing fishers aboard the FV Villa de Pitanxo has been suspended,鈥� Brian Owens of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Halifax, Canada told AFP.
The mission was called off following an 鈥渆xhaustive鈥� search lasting more than 36 hours and covering 900 nautical square miles (3,080 nautical square kilometers), he said.
After initially indicating that 10 bodies had been recovered, on Wednesday Canadian officials corrected the death toll to nine.
The last time Spain suffered a major fishing disaster was in July 1984 when a sardine boat called the Islamar III sank off the Canary Islands, claiming 26 lives.
鈥淭his is a job which not only is very hard but is also very dangerous,鈥� Planas added.
In Madrid, lawmakers observed a minute of silence in parliament for the dead and the missing from the trawler, which went down some 250 nautical miles east of Newfoundland.
Of the 24 crew members, 16 are Spanish, five Peruvians and three Ghanaians.
Three days of mourning
鈥淥nce again the people of the sea have been hit very hard,鈥� said Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of Spain鈥檚 northwestern Galicia region where the boat was based.
鈥淕alicia is a big family and when a family is struck by a tragic event, it unites in grief to seek comfort,鈥� he said, announcing three days of mourning for the victims.
Planas said eight vessels, among them Spanish and Portuguese fishing boats, had joined the search for survivors from the Villa de Pitanxo, after the 50-meter (164-foot) fishing vessel sent out a distress signal at 0424 GMT on Tuesday.
By Wednesday morning, hopes of finding the missing crew members were fading.
鈥淲e are talking about a rescue鈥� in extremely difficult sea conditions, with water temperatures that mean as soon as a person falls in they won鈥檛 last long,鈥� said Feijoo.
Owens said the vessels involved in the rescue efforts faced 鈥�10-metre waves鈥� and strong winds. A plane and helicopter also joined the search.
It was not immediately clear what caused the boat to founder but Javier Touza, head of the Shipowner鈥檚 Cooperative in the northwestern Spanish city of Vigo, said it was likely struck by a wave.
鈥淭his would cause a massive entry of water into the ship, and cause it to sink almost immediately,鈥� he told TV station Antena 3.
鈥淎lthough we may not be able to find survivors, it is very important for the families to collect the bodies so they can rest in peace.鈥�
鈥業 am devastated鈥�
In Galicia, the families of the crew had hung onto the hope of any news of their loved ones.
Wife of missing 29-year-old crew member Edwin Cordoba, Luzmar, said her four children kept asking when their dad would come home.
鈥淚 am devastated, I can鈥檛 bear it,鈥� she told reporters.
鈥淚n front of them, I can鈥檛 show how I am really feeling because they don鈥檛 know yet,鈥� she added before breaking down in tears.
She and her husband are both from Peru.
The three survivors were found on a life raft by a Spanish fishing boat five hours after the Villa de Pitanxo sent out a distress call.
Suffering from hypothermia, they were airlifted to safety by a Canadian helicopter.
Among the survivors was the ship鈥檚 captain, Juan Padin Costa and his nephew Eduardo Rial Padin, whose mother expressed her relief in remarks to Spain鈥檚 public television.
鈥淚 am relieved because he is alive, thank God, but I鈥檓 so sorry this can鈥檛 be said for so many of his colleagues,鈥� said Gloria Padin Costas, breaking down in tears.