MESTRE SILVA

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Search for three missing fishermen after shipwreck off Esmoriz

On Oct 15, 2018, the distress beacon of the "Mestre Silva" was activated off Esmoriz. The ship had five crew members on board. Only one fisherman was rescued alive, the master of the boat, Rafael Silva, 54, from Vila do Conde, who was taken to the Santa Maria da Feira hospital. A 54-year-old fisherman from Póvoa de Varzim was recovered dead, and a 64-year-old fisherman from Vila do Conde and two Indonesians, aged 26 and 33, were missing. An SAR operation for the missing fishermen was launched. The buoy transmitting the emergency signal was detected by an P-3C Orion aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force and collected by the Navy Corvette 'Jacinto Cândido'. On the second day of operation, the corvette "Jacinto Cândido", a vessel of the Leixões Maritime Police, a vessel from the Salva-Vidas do Douro station and two craft of the Air Force were involved in the search. Most of them suspended their operations at sunset because of the reduced visibility, but the "Jacinto Cândido" remained in the area at night. On Oct 17, the Navy planned to continue with the SAr operation, involving the "Jacinto Cândido", a vessel of the Maritime Police of Leixões, a vessel of the Captaincy of Aveiro, a vessel of the Station Salva-Vidas do Douro and an Air Force aircraft. The "Mestre Silva" was registered in Póvoa de Varzim but operating from the port of Matosinhos. She sank about ten miles off Esmoriz in the Espinho district of Aveiro.