A fishing vessel sank off the coast of Sesimbra, Portugal, south of Lisbon, on Friday, September 11, leaving one crew member missing.
Seven people were reportedly on board the fishing vessel when the accident happened. Six crew members were rescued from the water by another fishing boat, while one Indonesian fisherman remains missing.
The Portuguese Navy’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Lisbon) said the emergency alert was received at around 10:25 a.m. from the nearby fishing vessel Sebastião Paulo. The vessel went to the scene and recovered the six survivors.
Fishing Vessel Sank Off Sesimbra
According to Portuguese local reports, the fishing vessel was the Gonçalo Festas, registered in Vila do Conde. The vessel was operating around 7 nautical miles south of Sesimbra when it sank.
Local reports said the vessel had five Indonesian fishermen and two Portuguese crew members on board. The vessel reportedly suffered an incident on board before suddenly turning over and sinking while the crew were preparing fishing operations. The exact cause of the accident has not yet been officially confirmed.
The crew members reportedly spent around three hours in the water before they were found and rescued by Sebastião Paulo. Some of the survivors showed signs of hypothermia.
Six Crew Members Rescued
All six rescued crew members were brought back toward Sesimbra.
According to the Portuguese Navy, five people suffered minor injuries while one person was seriously injured. The serious casualty received first aid from members of the Sesimbra Lifeboat Station, including immobilisation on a rigid board, before the survivors were taken for medical treatment.
Local reports said the survivors were transported to a hospital in Setúbal for further medical assessment.
Major Search Operation Underway
A large search and rescue operation was launched for the missing fisherman.
The operation is being coordinated by MRCC Lisbon and involves several Portuguese Navy vessels, including:
- NRP Bartolomeu Dias
- NRP Figueira da Foz
- NRP Sagitário
- A Sesimbra Lifeboat Station vessel
- Two Maritime Police vessels
- A Portuguese Air Force aircraft
The Portuguese Navy said the missing crew member disappeared at the moment the fishing vessel sank, according to information provided by the rescued crew.
Investigation Into the Accident
The circumstances surrounding the sinking remain under investigation.
Local reports have raised questions about what happened before the vessel went down, including reports that the vessel suddenly overturned during fishing preparations. There were also questions about the emergency equipment and why the initial alert came from the nearby fishing vessel rather than directly from the casualty vessel. These details have not been fully established by the Portuguese Navy and should be treated as preliminary.
The priority for Portuguese authorities remains locating the missing fisherman.
The search operation is continuing with both naval and aerial assets deployed in the area.
What Happened Off Sesimbra?
The fishing vessel Gonçalo Festas sank approximately seven nautical miles south of Sesimbra on September 11. Seven people were aboard, six were rescued and one Indonesian crew member remains missing. Five rescued people suffered minor injuries and one was seriously injured.
