MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

At least three killed as Argentine fishing boat sinks off Chubut

The Mar del Plata-based “Repunte” had taken to sea from Puerto Madryn on June 13.

Argentine Coast Guard found Sunday the dead body of two of the nine crew members missing after Saturday's sinking of a fishing vessel off the coast of Argentina's southern province of Chubut, it was reported, while one more sailor whose body is yet to be retrieved is also feared dead and seven more are still missing.

The fishing vessel Repunte sank about 80 kilometers north of the coast of Rawson, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, it was reported. On Saturday, the Coast Guard managed to rescue two survivors and detected the lifeless body of another sailor, shortly before stopping the search due to the weather that hit the area since the beginning of the weekend and for which the provincial government declared a state of emergency.

An airplane, a helicopter and the Coast Guard ship Prefecto Derbes are taking part in the search amidst waves of up to ten metres.

It all began Saturday morning, when the captain of the Argentine-flagged Repunte signaled the Maria Liliana, which sailed 16 nautical miles (about 32 kilometers) apart, that they were abandoning the ship in the middle of a strong storm.

The latter contacted the coastal station in Comodoro Rivadavia to request assistance, after which the search and rescue operation was launched. Once at the scene, the Coast Guard found an empty liferaft and was able to rescue one person alive. Another survivor was rescued by the helicopter's crew as well as one dead body.

The Mar del Plata-based Repunte had taken to sea from Puerto Madryn on June 13.

Federal authorites from Chubut's capital, Rawson, are in charge of investigating the incident.