MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argos Georgia, unsuccessful search for missing mariners; nine bodies on Tuesday to be flown to UK for autopsies

MV Pharos SG and Argos Helena continued the search for disappeared crew members or debris during the weekend

As part of the ongoing recovery effort for those crew members still missing from the fishing vessel Argos Georgia, over the weekend MV Pharos SG and one other vessel conducted a search of the datum area. This search unfortunately provided no further results of anyone missing or debris, points out the latest report from the Falkland Islands Government.

On Saturday 27 July 2024, 13 crew members left the Islands on a military flight which was provided by the Government of Spain. The remaining crew member remains in Stanley and will return to their home country in due course.

The bodies of the 9 deceased crew members remain under the care of the Coroner, and will be taken to the UK to undergo the required formalities, before being released to their loved ones.

Vessels travelling through the datum area over the coming weeks are being encouraged to look out for any signs of those still missing or debris and report them immediately to the Falklands Maritime Authority.

This entire search and rescue operation, and recovery effort has been a difficult and distressing event for all those involved, the Falkland Islands Government would like to thank everyone who has been involved in any way during this time. 

Meantime it was announced by the Galicia media that British Authorities have opened an inquiry into the loss of “Argos Georgia”. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch, MAIB, published on Monday the opening of the investigation which left nine deceased, four disappeared and fourteen survivors.

“Foundering of the Saint Helena registered vessel Argos Georgia in heavy seas approximately 200 nm east of Port Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands. The incident occurred 23/07/24 and the investigation is on behalf of the Government of Saint Helena.”

From Galicia, the head of the regional government said that, “it's an investigation to be done by British Authorities and the Galician government has no competence in the matter.” Anyhow in Spain the “Standing investigation committee of Maritime Accidents and Incidents, Ciaim”, will be acting and participating to establish the technical causes which led to the maritime accident and losses in the Malvinas Islands”.

Javier Touzas, head of the Port of Vigo Fishing Vessels Cooperatives, ARVI, speaking with Spanish media said that the search for the disappeared crew members (four, including two Spaniards) continued, involving two vessels, the Falklands MV Pharos SG and the “Argos Helena”, belonging to the same company of the sunken “Argos Georgia”, plus air support from MPC.

Likewise on Tuesday, again according to Galician sources, the bodies of the deceased crewmembers in the tragedy (nine) will be flown on a Royal Air Force unit from the Falklands to Oxfordshire in UK, for the autopsy.

Once the forensic task is over, the remains of three Spaniards will be delivered to their families for burial, over a week since the tragic incident. The information was provided by Pedro Blanco, Spanish central government representative in Galicia. Likewise the spokesperson for survivors families, Jose Manuel Pena said autopsies were necessary to know exactly what happened and insurance companies can begin estimating catastrophe compensations. “That is all we can say for now”, according to the families, since “we ignore how long the autopsies will take and who will identify our loved ones”.

Family members also complained of the lack of concise information from the institutions with competence in the task of the repatriation process.