On 15 February 2022 at 6:30 UTC, twelve crew members faced a catastrophic moment aboard the fishing vessel Villa de Pitanxo. They had already spent hours clinging to a raft that was cracked and exposed to freezing water at two degrees Celsius, while the air carried a chilling -17 degrees. Only two crew members, the captain and his nephew Juan Enrique Padín and Eduardo Rial, wore survival suits, and only one suit remained dry. At 6:30 UTC, bodies were visible on the inflatable raft as sailors such as Samuel Koufie and William Arévalo struggled to survive. Tragically, William did not make it.
At 6:30 a.m., the radio beacon warned authorities of a disaster. The ship owner initially told the National Rescue Coordination Center that there were 22 people on board, a claim contradicted by the actual 24 involved in the fatal capsizing. Pesquerías Nores Marín, the ship owner, sent a misleading message to the Vigo Maritime Captain’s Office. Documents from the investigation show that the company faced charges for insufficient lifesaving equipment for all crew members. The National Court has indicted the company, and investigative judge Ismael Moreno has noted that two top executives faced prosecution: general manager José Antonio Nores Rodríguez and Fleet president José Antonio Nores Ortega.
Like Juan Enrique Padín, Pesquerías Nores was already under scrutiny for alleged crimes including 21 murders due to gross recklessness, violations of workers’ rights, document forgery, and cover-up. The families of the victims, twelve of whom were never recovered, pressed to have Eduardo Rial file a criminal complaint, but the court has not granted that request to date.
Unlike the captain, who was rescued wearing dry tennis shoes, Rial and other survivors faced a harrowing ordeal. Rial had to jump into the sea to reach the raft after the ship’s collapse. Koufie, the third survivor, testified before the Civil Guard and in court that Padín did not order the crew to abandon ship and therefore did not order them to equip themselves with thermal clothing. Rescuers from the shipowner Moradina reported to the court that no distress call was emitted from Pitanxo’s command bridge. Witnesses recalled that Padín offered several versions of the events within a short period.
The same sources informed the judge that Padín, along with Samuel Koufie and Eduardo Rial, allegedly sought writing materials to craft a narrative for the authorities. They were able to outline a sequence: the engine stopped for reasons not immediately clear, the Pitanxo docked, and the crew was summoned to the bridge in thermal suits.
Contributions from Koufie, supported by sailors Mendeseni Iki Beach and others, challenged expert testimony. They claimed the engine did not fail and that Padín’s maneuver caused the boat to heel fatally, a loss of stability driven by a strong current carrying water and mud. The rig reportedly overwhelmed the Wärtsilä propulsion system. The Ghanaian sailor also alleged pressure from the ship’s owner to back up the boss’s version and to minimize liability for the wreck. The Galician fishing community has not faced a sinking with so many victims since a 1978 tragedy.
Beyond deceptive reporting about the voyage, Pesquerías Nores provided false information upon departure from Vigo. At the time of sailing, the vessel was listed with a crew of 22 life vests included in the rescue equipment roster, despite a larger crew. A structural change to the freeboard deck added ballast that altered the vessel’s stability, and the vessel operated in areas of the sea where ice formation is common. The crew’s health situation also raised concerns, as a COVID-positive crew member was not quarantined before heading to the fishing grounds, and seven recovered bodies showed high concentrations of the virus.
The extensive irregularities did not stop the company from receiving public subsidies from various administrations. The latest aid, dated July 13, amounted to 225,000 euros for diesel consumption for fishing vessels and trap owners in 2023. It was direct aid without compensation. In total, since the Villa de Pitanxo disaster, Pesquerías Nores Marín has received direct subsidies totaling more than 304,000 euros, as recorded in the national subsidy database.
Keys
1 Accusations related to the incident
Juan Padín and Pesquerías Nores face accusations of four crimes, including 21 murders from gross negligence, workers’ rights violations, document forgery, and cover-up. Two Nores executives have been added to the charges as defendants.
2 Public assistance to shipowners
Following the Villa de Pitanxo wreck, Pesquerías Nores received public subsidies totaling over 300,000 euros in February 2022.