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LA ISLA

Vista del Golfo Ártabro, A Coruña, Galicia
  1. Name: La Isla
  2. Type of vessel: fishing vessel, trawler
  3. Flag: Spain
  4. Date of sinking: 04 October 1970
  5. Cause: grounding, fog
  6. Location: Pedra do Boi (A Coruña)
  7. Diving level: advanced
  8. GALP territory: Gulf of Artabro

HISTORY

The tragedy that led to the creation of professional rescue services

The Spanish fishing vessel La Isla, ran aground at five o’clock in the morning of 4 October 1970 in the area known as Pedra do Boi, at the foot of the Tower of Hercules (A Coruña). It was returning to port with 15 people on board after a fishing trip to the Great Sole Bank

There was no time to make a distress call and the lack of rescue resources meant that the entire crew perished except for one engineer who was picked up by the fishing vessel Segunda Isabelita.

This tragedy caused such consternation throughout the country that the authorities took the first steps for the foundation of the Red Cross of the Sea, the diving groups of the Civil Guard G.E.A.S. and the establishment of an SAR service, under the Air Force.

The skipper of La Isla was the brother of the skipper of the fishing boat Carmen Vilariño, which became grounded due to fog just a year later and very close to the place of this misfortune.

Characteristics

Features: diesel, 430 H.P., 201 GRT, 29 x 6.52 x 3.75, steel. Built: 1962, Hijos de J. Barreras, Vigo (Pontevedra). Shipowner: Jaime Gómez Pablos

Reference:

SAN CLAUDIO SANTA CRUZ, M., 1997. UNDERSECRETARIAT FOR THE MERCHANT NAVY, 1966. (Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping Returns of Vessels, pgs. 1970-54)

LOCATION

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