Strong winds and waves, which were felt this Saturday and are expected to continue this Sunday, are preventing divers from accessing the interior of the siege fishing vessel Virgem Dolorosa.
By last Friday, “80% of the ship’s interior had been inspected by the forensic diving team of the Marine Police and the Portuguese Navy’s Demolition Divers Unit No. 2,” the National Maritime Authority said. They were joined by divers hired by the Mutual Fishing Cooperative on board the fishing vessel Princesa de Peniche, who had already managed to remove “most” of the floating fishing nets.
Divers are expected to resume work tomorrow to search for the three missing fishermen and ensure the vessel is refloated and transported to port.
The 24-metre-long and seven-metre-wide trawler has been on its side since early last Wednesday morning off Samouco beach in Marinha Grande and is sinking deeper and deeper.