The ocean patrol vessel of the Portuguese Navy “Setúbal” rescued, this Saturday, five men who were drifting in a fishing vessel 60 miles from Soyo, northern Angola, said official sources.
Speaking to the media, Commander Caetano Silveira, responsible for Portuguese cooperation in the area of the Navy in Angola, explained that the vessel was sighted on Friday night and was “without propulsion” due to an engine failure. The fishermen had left Luanda ten days ago and were drifting for five days without food or water.
It is a fishing boat “very rudimentary” and in “poor condition” with about six meters, said.
The Portuguese Navy vessel stayed by the boat all night and reassessed the situation in the morning, concluding that it was not possible to repair the engine. According to Caetano Silveira, the captaincy of the Port of Soyo has been asked “to create conditions to finalize the tow operation”, which began at 11:30 local time.