Figueira da Foz once again experienced a day of mourning and horror. The last farewell to the three fishermen who sank on the ship Virgem Dolorosa, whose bodies were found last Wednesday, took place on Friday in Figueira da Foz. The first ceremony was performed by Felipe Julian, 31, the youngest fisherman on the boat. Payan Parish Church became a place of worship for family and friends, who described the fisherman as “a young man full of joy and willing to help the whole community.” Felipe leaves behind a two-year-old daughter. The body was buried in Payan Cemetery.
The funerals of Eugenio Pata, 62, and José Jacinto, 58, took place simultaneously in the chapel of Leirosa. There was not enough space for the hundreds of people who wanted to pay their last respects to the people who lived by the sea. Two families who had maintained very close relationships were overcome with tears and supported in a moment of great suffering and pain. The farewell ceremony was attended by the Secretary of State for Fisheries, Claudia Aguiar, members of the Portuguese Navy and Pedro Santana Lopes, president of the Figueira da Foz City Council. “This is another tough day for Figueira da Foz and the fishing community. Life at sea is very tough and these families have already proven that they have character,” the mayor said.
FAINA WAS A FAMILY BUSINESS
The community fears for the future of Leirosa’s fishing families. “They are very poor families, they lived off what fishing brought in, and I don’t know what will happen to them,” he told reporters. CM Armenio Silvino, a friend of the victims.
THE CREW DID NOT RETURN TO SEA
More than a week has passed since the tragedy that occurred on the 3rd, and the survivors have still not returned to the sea. Although the fishermen have physically recovered, they are traumatized by the death of six of their colleagues.