A Ghanaian sailor aboard the Novo Alborada tragically died after falling overboard 165 miles southeast of the Isles of Scilly. The incident prompted a rapid international response, with ships and fleets mobilizing to assist once the distress was detected. A Galician fishing vessel later located the body and recovered it, with the crew delivering the sailor to Vigo for further handling. The event highlights the ongoing dangers of offshore fishing and the coordinated efforts that maritime authorities deploy in remote areas (CNCS, HM Coast Guard, Salvamento Marítimo). The Novo Alborada is on a voyage toward Vigo when the casualty occurred, and authorities anticipated that the vessel could reach port on the following day based on the last satellite position (CNCS, Salvamento Marítimo).
The sailor in question was Ghanaian-born and born in 1970. The report confirms that the individual fell into the sea while conducting fishing operations, a risk profile not uncommon in long-haul trawling voyages conducted far from shorelines (CNCS, local maritime agencies).
A man fell overboard from the Novo Alborada, 165 miles southeast of the Isles of Scilly (UK). The coast guards and rescue entities were alerted via satellite communications routed through regional coordination centers, and a merchant vessel with a fishing boat was involved in the rescue effort. The trawler involved continued toward Vigo with the deceased crew member on board, reflecting standard maritime procedure when retrieval and transport to port are required after a fatality at sea (CNCS, HM Coast Guard, Salvamento Marítimo).
— The August 2023 coastal rescue operations timeline illustrates how agencies collaborate across borders to stabilize a response once a tragedy occurs at sea. The initial alert was issued in Spanish time, and rescue coordination followed through Finisterre, with Salvamento Marítimo providing crucial assistance alongside the UK authorities in search efforts (UK Coast Guard, Salvamento Marítimo).
The rescue command reported that the body was recovered at around 9:40 local time and was subsequently transferred to the Novo Alborada’s crew for transport to an olive port, signaling the completion of the on-scene phase of the response and the handover to port authorities for formal procedures.
New Dawn
New Dawn is a 39-meter, 9-meter-wide trawler that dates from 2001. Although officially registered in A Coruña, it operates out of Vigo and is owned by the O Morrazo fleet, reflecting the common arrangement in which ships are registered in one port while maintaining base operations in another, often for economic or regulatory reasons. This regional setup underscores how coastal fleets in northern Spain manage vessel ownership, registration, and home port logistics while maintaining active fishing operations in the area (maritime registries, local press, port records).