Two individuals remain unaccounted for after a French fishing vessel, the Maranello, sank in the English Channel. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) described the crew members as 'unaccounted for' on Sunday night and has suspended the search pending further information.
An extensive search operation commenced south-west of Eddystone Lighthouse, near Plymouth, following a distress call from the Maranello on Saturday evening. French authorities confirmed that the stricken vessel had contacted another trawler, the Stradale, to report a problem with its fishing gear.
The Stradale managed to rescue three of the Maranello's five crew members before the boat sank. One rescued sailor was airlifted to Truro Hospital, while the other two were taken to Plymouth for medical attention. All rescued crew members are reportedly traveling back to France.
Multiple assets were deployed in the search, including a coastguard rescue helicopter, a fixed-wing aircraft, and RNLI lifeboats from Falmouth and Plymouth. Local vessels also assisted in the British-led operation. The French patrol vessel FS Flamant and an additional aircraft from Humberside Airport were also dispatched to aid the efforts. The MCA was first alerted to the incident shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday.