17 Russian sailors are missing in the Barents Sea after a ship sinks. In freezing temperatures, their chances of survival are slim. Two rescued crew members report of a storm and a fatal wave.
A Russian fishing trawler sank in the Barents Sea. 17 crew members are missing. Because of the icy and stormy winter weather, according to the authorities, there is little hope of finding the people alive. Several boats were sent to the site of the accident to search for the missing persons.
According to the news agencies Tass and Interfax, the crew of the “Onega” had cast their nets in the middle of a storm and in spite of temperatures of up to minus 30 degrees Celsius. When she wanted to bring in the catch, the icy ship sank.
Two crew members were rescued from another ship. “The people were literally washed off the deck into the sea,” the Interfax news agency quotes one of the rescued.
The two rescued sailors wore special rescue suits. According to Interfax information, you should have suffered frostbite, but were not seriously injured. The remaining seafarers are said to have had no time to put on their rescue equipment.
The ship’s crew emitted a distress signal
The weather in the region about 300 kilometers from Murmansk is stormy. According to the authorities, a rescue from the air is therefore not possible. The temperatures are around minus 20 degrees Celsius.
According to the Russian Civil Protection Ministry, the ship was icy. This could have contributed to it capsizing and sinking. Ice on deck makes a ship heavier and can be a serious hazard. The authorities launched an investigation. They check whether all safety regulations have been observed.
The crew of the 1979 approved ship gave an emergency signal, it was said from the official side. According to information from the “Barents Observer”, 16 of the 19 crew members lived in Murmansk. This is also the home port of the “Onega”, which has been at sea since December 14th.