The Maritime Rescue Center (CCS) in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), last night (Sunday 26th February 2012) coordinated the rescue of the 27 members of crew on board the fishing trawler ‘Esther’, which eventually sank about 164 miles to the south of the Canaries, all the crew were successfully rescued and are in good health.

The incident occurred at 17.52 (local time), when an alert was received from the Moroccan-flagged fishing trawler ‘Esther’ with 26 crew members of Moroccan nationality and the captain, who has Spanish nationality.

The CCS in Las Palmas dispatched a plane (the Sasemar 103) and a helicopter (Helimer 208). The trawler, which is approximately 30 meters long, was located about 164 miles south of the Canary Islands.

A nearby trawler, the ‘Mersal VI’ initially rescued 14 crew members which the remaining 13 crew members remained on board the ‘Esther’ and tried to pump out the water that the ship was taking on board due to a leak.

When the plane ‘Sasemar 103′ arrived in the area the ‘Esther’ requested a more powerful bilge pump to try and pump out all the water but was unsuccessful in doing so and finally, at 13:00 (local time) the ‘Esther’ sank 164 miles south of the Maspalomas (Gran Canaria) lighthouse and 85 miles north of Dakhla.

(Archive image of Helimer 208 Rescue Helicopter)