It is believed that many of the crew aboard Villa de Pitanxo have lost their lives after the Spanish trawler sank in rough seas about 250 miles off Newfoundland, on Canada’s east coast on Tuesday 15 February 2022.
To-date rescue searches have picked up just three of Villa de Pitanxo’s 24 crew alive. They were found suffering from severe hyperthermia in one of the fishing boat’s life rafts.
Owned by Grupo Nores, the 50-metre Villa de Pitanxo operates out of northwest Spain’s Galicia region. It was engaged in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) groundfish trawl fishery.
According to media reports, when the vessel’s on-board data recorder stopped transmitting, a rescue centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, dispatched aircraft and vessels to the area.
Other Spanish fishing boats have also been assisting the search, which has faced heavy weather.
In a statement, NAFO said, ”The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) expresses its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the crew members who lost their lives in the tragic sinking of the Spanish fishing vessel, Villa de Pitanxo, on 15 February 2022.”
