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According to a spokesman for the rescue service in the northwestern region of Murmansk, the weather conditions were very demanding when the shipwreck occurred.
A heavy snowstorm devastated the area and the height of the waves was estimated to be four meters. The temperature should have dropped to minus 25 degrees.
Survivors of the Russian trawler “Onega” say their colleagues were swept out to sea by foamy waves when the ship became unbalanced and capsized in a very short time.
– People were literally dragged from the deck into the sea.
Rescue teams continue to search for 17 missing fishermen in the Barents Sea. Their trawler sank on Monday and they are not believed to be alive. Photo: screenshot of Google map
– The disaster occurred under strong winds just as the crew collected the net with the catch. Everyone wore wetsuits, but no one had time to wear them. People were literally dragged from the deck into the sea, says a source to the Russian news agency Tass.
A spokesman for the Rosmorretsjot river transport agency confirms the description.
– Everything was fast, says Alexei Kravstjenko.
A known and dangerous phenomenon at sea occurs during the winter months in the Barents Sea. Strong winds combined with cold increase the risk of ice formation.
– Impossible to save anyone in the ice water.
– The ship was covered in ice and immediately sank in the storm. It’s practically impossible to save someone in icy water, a source tells Tass.
Only two of the crew, a helmsman and a sailor, survived the wreck. They themselves witnessed the rest of the crew disappear into the foamy bodies of water.
When they were rescued from the frozen sea, they were wearing life jackets.
“Onega” has 358 gross tons and has sailed since 1979 and. The trawler was built in Norway, owned by Tromsø and Senja until 2002, according to nord24.no. The trawler was considered a solid ship.
– Our society is in deep pain after the tragic shipwreck.
Sør-Varanger Municipality Mayor Pål K. Gabrielsen says there is a community in mourning after the Russian fishing boat sank in the Barents Sea on Monday. 17 men are still missing after the shipwreck.
– Our thoughts go out to family members and survivors. The fishing boat Onega was often on the Kirkenes pier, and through it friendships and connections were created. Our society, which also consists of a good number of Russian inhabitants, is deeply grieved after the tragic shipwreck, Gabrielsen tells NTB.
“Onega” had Kirkenes as its last port of call on December 14 before it went down on Monday morning.
Search continues for 17 missing fishermen
Rescue teams continue to search for 17 missing fishermen in the Barents Sea. Their trawler sank on Monday and they are not believed to be alive.
– We are formally continuing the search and rescue operation, says government spokesman Alexei Kravchenko.
Rescue teams searched an area of 500 square kilometers without finding anything. Rescue work has been difficult due to a snowstorm, high waves, and low temperatures.
The ship is believed to have capsized as a result of heavy icing.
Video: See the rescue operation on board the trawler «Northguider»
