The fishing vessel known as the Stones, part of the Marín fleet, faced disaster when it capsized in the waters southwest of Gran Sol last Wednesday. The dramatic ordeal unfolded as the vessel sank, leaving a number of crew members fighting for survival. On Sunday, eight of the 11 survivors arrived in Castletownbere, having first reached Dublin and then travelled to Santiago from there in the afternoon. The remaining survivors arrived at the last moment after authorities were questioned about the sequence of events, the location of Castletownbere port, and the recovery paperwork, as teams coordinated the logistics of air and sea transport.
The ship had departed Castletownbere port on Sunday, 29 May, and soon afterward sank in a region about 64 miles southwest of Ireland. The now-forsaken vessel drifted for roughly four hours as the crew and rescuers worked to stabilize the situation. The captain and the chief engineer reportedly fought to contain water ingress and keep the vessel afloat, while other crew members were rescued by another fishing vessel, the Armaven Uno, which also transferred the two remaining crew members when the ship began to list severely and the hull disappeared beneath the waves.
One seaman later spoke with Faro de Vigo about water entering the engine room through an unknown opening at a critical moment. There was also no clear explanation for why the boat appeared to emit smoke, a detail captured in footage from the Irish coast guard. Rescue teams and investigators are inspecting the incident to determine the cause of the leak, the sequence of events that led to the capsize, and the steps taken to preserve life at sea. The episode serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by offshore crews and the importance of rapid response, vessel integrity checks, and robust safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.”