On Monday, seven fishermen were rescued off the coast of A Coruña by the Spanish rescue agency, Salvamento Maritimo. The agency received a distress call around 10:50 AM from the fishing vessel Abra de Muxia, which had just picked up the crew from another fishing boat, the Itoitz, that was severely listing.
The captain of the Itoitz had ordered the crew to abandon ship into a liferaft due to the dangerous conditions. The Abra de Muxia quickly retrieved the seven crew members. A Spanish rescue helicopter then arrived to medevac them to A Coruña’s local airport, where it was reported that no injuries occurred among the rescued crew. During this operation, the helicopter also assisted another fisherman from a different vessel who had sustained a head injury.
Following the evacuation, the Itoitz remained afloat but continued to list significantly. Salvamento Maritimo deployed a SAR lifeboat to monitor the situation for navigational safety, as the vessel drifted north of Cape Ortegal at a speed of approximately two knots. The owner of the Itoitz, Javier Sar Romero, informed local media that a tugboat has been arranged for towing, although unfavorable weather conditions, including winds exceeding 30 knots and waves over 15 feet, have hindered access to the vessel.
