Fourteen fishermen stranded in lifeboats off the coast of the Falkland Islands have been saved in a dramatic rescue operation, but seven people remain missing and six others are believed dead.
Late on Tuesday, emergency teams were still scouring the choppy waters of the south Atlantic for survivors after the Argos Georgia, a Saint Helena-flagged fishing vessel experienced “uncontrolled flooding” on Monday evening.
The ship was 200 nautical miles (229 miles) east of the Falkland Islands capital, Stanley, when it sank early on Tuesday after issuing a distress call, the government of the British overseas territory said in a statement.
Among the 27 crew members were 10 Spanish citizens, including the captain. The boat also carried Russian, Indonesian, Uruguayan and Peruvian crew members, according to local media.
While the ship had three lifeboats, Spanish media reported that only two of the boats were able to fully inflate.
A fishing patrol boat in the area was able to rescue 13 people. Another ship located two lifeless bodies and a third found one crew member alive and another who had succumbed to the elements, according to Spanish media.
None of the deceased have been identified and the survivors are calling their families from the ships.
Carmen Crespo, president of the fisheries committee of the European parliament, said in a statement she was closely watching the rescue operation. “My thoughts are with the fishermen who disappeared in the Falkland Islands and their families. We sincerely hope that his rescue will be completed soon.”
The Argos Georgia initially left Port Stanley on Sunday night, en route to fishing grounds. But the crew encountered winds exceeding 35 knots, seven-metre waves and frigid temperatures.
Before the rescue, a pair of British Royal Air Force (RAF) planes tracked the life rafts in order to coordinate with other vessels in the area.
A rescue attempt late on Monday by a search and rescue helicopter was called off after “extremely challenging weather conditions”, the statement from the Falkland Islands government said.
“As of [Tuesday] morning weather conditions mean the search area remains out of limits for helicopter SAR [search and rescue] operations, but the situation is being reviewed regularly with a view to resuming operations as soon as possible,” it added.
Robert Ervik, the owner of the fishing firm Argos Froyanes, told reporters 27 people were aboard the fishing vessel when it began to take on water on Monday. The boat, built in 2018, measures 177ft in length and can accommodate 28 people.
The Argos Georgia is managed by Argos Froyanes Ltd, a privately-owned joint British-Norwegian company.
“Our crew members are true professionals and have regular training for such a situation,” the company said in a statement. “We trust in their ability to use the safety equipment to the best of their ability.”