Search Continues for Two Missing Fishermen off Andalucian Coast
Two young men, aged 26 and 31, who went missing off the Andalucian coast on Tuesday, January 16, are still unaccounted for. Spanish authorities, in a desperate bid to find them, continue their search operations. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, also known as Frontex, has joined the search in collaboration with Spain’s maritime rescue services.
Engine Failure Leads to Disappearance
The two men were fishing off the coast of Marbella when their 6.5 metre boat suffered an engine failure. The men, both residents of Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast, sent out a distress signal at 8.23pm on Tuesday evening. A friend of the duo reported that their phones stopped emitting a signal shortly after the emergency warning was sent.
Rescue Efforts Intensify Despite Unfavourable Weather Conditions
Officials from the Spanish maritime rescue service have been tirelessly searching the area where the two young men were last seen, approximately 20 miles off the coast of Marbella. Rescue boats and a helicopter have been joined by an aircraft from Frontex, the EU border force that operates across the Schengen Area. The officials have also used data on wind and currents in the Gibraltar Strait to search areas where the powerless boat may have drifted to. However, the rescue efforts have been hampered by unfavourable weather conditions. Storm Irene brought gusts in excess of 37 knots, while Storm Juan means inclement weather is expected to persist until the weekend.
Related Incidents
This incident follows a series of disappearances off Spain’s Costa del Sol. In recent news, a desperate search was launched for two men who vanished while fishing in the sea off Spain’s Costa del Sol. In another incident, a ‘vulnerable’ 22-year-old man who disappeared from Spain’s Costa del Sol was found, bringing huge relief to his family. In a more mysterious case, a 28-year-old British tourist vanished after booking a flight to Spain.
