MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

South Atlantic trawler on fire; all crew members rescued

“Olagarta” remain on board the “Playa de Galicia”

Twenty four of the twenty seven crew members of a Spanish trawler that caught fire early Sunday morning in the South Atlantic will be arriving in Montevideo, Uruguay in the coming hours after having been rescued by another Spanish vessel.

The captain, chief engineer and a third officer of the 43 meters long "Olagarta" remain on board the "Playa de Galicia" which was the first vessel to come to the rescue. "Olagarta" based in Vigo normally operates in the South Atlantic and experienced what is presumed to be an accident, 209 miles off the coast of the Argentine Patagonian province of Chubut, Puerto Camarones, according to the Argentine Coast Guard. Apparently the fire broke out when half the crew was working on deck with smoke and flames rapidly advancing because of the wind. However quick reaction and calling for help from other fishing vessels in the area saved the day even when the rescue had to be done with Zodiac fast boats since it had become to risky to board side by side. The 24 crew members, most of them Peruvians, on their way to Montevideo are traveling on board the Spanish flagged "Costa de Cabo". Meantime the "Olagarta" still on fire and apparently condemned is slowly drifting northeast reported "Playa de Galicia". The Argentine Navy and Coast Guard responsible for Search And Rescue, (SAR), operations in the area sent a P-3B Orion aircraft to over see operations and a corvette ARA Gomez Rocca has been dispatched in the event the fishing vessel can be recovered. "I'm a bit pessimistic because the fire is out of control and it only needs to reach the engine room; besides there's too much wind", said "Olagarta" Captain Miguel Angel Mendez. The 20 year old "Olegarta" belongs to Copemar S.A. which has a fleet of nine vessels: four trawlers, three longliners and two for shrimp. The company has processing plants in Galicia, Namibia and Portugal.