French tuna purse seiner Avel Vor sank after a collision with an unidentified floating object. All of the crew are safe and were picked up by other tuna vessels in the area.
Avel Vor was steaming towards fishing grounds when the crew were aware of the sound of a collision with a floating object. As a result of the collision, water quickly entered the vessel’s engine room and the pumps were not able to cope with the rapidly rising water level.
Despite the engine room team’s best efforts, the skipper took the decision to abandon ship during the night, with the crew picked up by CFTO tuna vessels Sterenn, Gueotec and Pendruc.
Avel Vor continued to take on water while a tug with pumps and a diving team on board was on the way to the position 170 nautical miles off the coast of Liberia, but early the next morning Avel Vor was no longer visible on Pendruc’s radar.
Pendruc remained on the scene with the part of Avel Vor’s crew on board to recover any floating objects that could present hazards to navigation. There is no sign of pollution at the scene.
