All Crew of Galician Fishing Boat Rescued by a Canoe

The crew of the fishing boat “Noruego,” owned by shipowners from Ribeira, was rescued on Thursday after a fierce fire broke out in Angolan waters, according to El Faro de Vigo.

“Four Galician sailors from the O Barbanza region were on board: two were on the bridge—both from Ribeira and employed by the owning company—and the other two were in the engine room,” explained Lara Braña.

The blaze was visible from a great distance, with flames several metres high that consumed the vessel’s structure from stern to bow, devouring the bridge as they spread. The last AIS position recorded was on the 10th, when the ship was sailing north of Luanda.

The evacuation to a dugout canoe—a craft commonly used for traditional fishing along much of the African coast—was carried out without injuries to any of the crew, except for an Angolan sailor who suffered burns and was treated for a leg fracture.

The vessel is owned by Ribeira shipowners, specifically the company Pesca Noruego SL (at least until August), with its registered office in the fishing port of the same town.

“Noruego was removed from the vessel register of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 6 August, when it switched to fly the Angolan flag. It had been modified to operate in the octopus fishery,” the authorities noted.