Four Fishermen Rescued From Rocky Islet After Grounding
On Tuesday, Spanish rescue agency Salvamento Maritimo and the Galician coast guard rescued four survivors from the top of a rocky islet after a fishing vessel went aground and partially sank.
That morning, the fishing boat Nuevo Abeijón was operating off the coast of Monte Louro, a promontory on the rugged western coast of Galicia. At about 1025 hours, a good samaritan fishing vessel made a Channel 16 VHF call to report that Nuevo Abeijón was too close to the rocks, and that an emergency was developing.
The Nuevo Abeijón grounded, and the crew were able to climb to safety on the rock outcropping, charted as O Neixon. Slammed by the surf, the wooden boat partially sank, and the crew were trapped on the top of the islet.
???? Hoxe o Pesca 1 rescatou aos catro tripulantes do pesqueiro 'Nuevo Abeijón', con porto base en Noia e que se afundiu na zona de O Neixón, fronte ao Monte Louro, no concello coruñés de Muros. Así os izou antes de trasladalos ao hospital do Barbanza.
— Gardacostas Galicia (@GardacostasGal) October 31, 2023
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El CCS Fisterra ha coordinado rescate de los 4 tripulantes del pesquero Nuevo Abeijón, hundido tras irse contra la costa en Muros. Los tripulantes se pusieron a salvo en las rocas. Movilizados Salvamar Régulus, Helimer y Pesca I @GardacostasGal, que los trasladó a hosp. Barbanza pic.twitter.com/VxsWwkAVlH
— SALVAMENTO MARÍTIMO (@salvamentogob) October 31, 2023
The regional maritime rescue center dispatched the rescue boat Salvamar Regulus to the scene. However, the waves around the rock were too high and dangerous to permit the boat to approach and take the survivors aboard. Instead, Guardacostas Galicia sent a helicopter to hoist the four men aboard. All were delivered safely to a hospital in nearby Barbanza for evaluation.
Salvamar Regulus was able to pull the wreck of the Nuevo Abeijón off the rocks at about 1230, removing any threat to navigation from the vessel's still-floating hull.