On January 16, the 12 meter long fishing vessel CP-3-1674 became disabled in the Balearic Sea off Castellón, Spain. The CP-3-1674 had gone adrift after suffering steering failure. The 2 crew on board contacted Spanish authorities with the Salvamento Maritimó dispatching the 21 meter long Salvamar Sabik (MMSI: 224228230) to assist. The Salvamar Sabik would take the CP-3-1674 under tow and proceed back to port later the same day. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.
On the late morning of January 15, the 23 meter long fishing vessel Santa Anna Maria (MMSI: 228185800) ran around in the Bay of Biscay near Les Sables-d’Olonne, France. The gillnet fishing vessel had suffered a technical fault while heading to Vendée to unload its catch. The Santa Anna Maria went adrift before it was driven ashore on the rocky shoreline. The Santa Anna Maria sustained significant damage with the hull holed when it ran up on the rocks.
French authorities were alerted and began a coordinated rescue operation. With heavy seas and high winds made rescue by sea difficult. The SNSM vessel Canotier Jacques Joly was deployed but was unable to assist in rescuing the 7 crew on the Santa Anna Maria. A Dragon 17 helicopter was dispatched from La Rochelle and would arrive on site. The helicopter would hoist all 7 crew off the fishing vessel and safely transported to Grande Plage. No reports of injuries.
Local firefighters would arrive on site and establish a safety zone around the grounded vessel. The focus for firefighters and salvage efforts were to first contain and remove fuel. Heavy equipment was brought on site to remove contaminated sand while efforts to empty the diesel fuel from the ruptured tanks on the fishing vessel. Reports state that 20 tons of fuel had been pumped off the Santa Anna Maria.
An inspection of the Santa Anna Maria found the vessel too far damage to be refloated and returned to the sea. Instead, the fishing vessel will be moved up the beach, dismantled and scrapped on site.
On the evening of January 12, a fishing vessel Silver Dorado caught fire in the South Atlantic Ocean 1 nautical mile offshore of Noordhoek, South Africa. The fire with discovered by the master of the Silver Dorado as the vessel was headed out for fishing. The other 20 crew were resting in their bunks and were awaken to vessel ablaze.
The fishing vessel sent out a distress call that the vessel had caught fire and that all 21 crew members on board were abandoning ship. South African authorities alerted vessels in the area to assist while the NSRI launched the rescue vessels Bay Guardian and Rescue 6 Alpha from Gqeberha.
The fishing vessel Leguga arrived on scene finding all the 21 crew members of the Silver Dorado in the water. The Leguga launched its own life-raft and assisted recovering 12 crew members from the water. Other fishing vessels arrived on scene. The fishing vessel Raka rescued 4 crew and the fishing vessel Maverick rescued 4 more. The fishing vessel Vulcan rescued 1 crew member. With all 21 crew members accounted for and safe, the crew were transferred to the NSRI vessels. All crew were taken ashore at Port Elizabeth. No reports of injuries.
The Silver Dorado was reported still on fire and adrift. The fishing vessel was last seen near Cape Recife.