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Bodies of missing fishermen recovered
The bodies of Christophe Houart and Jean-Pierre Le Caër, who died in the sinking of the 'Maranello' off the coast of Plymouth on Aug 29, were recovered on Sep 5. On Sep 1, a French Navy tripartite minehunter (CMT) had set sail from Brest to reach the site of the sinking. A wreck identified as the 'Maranello' was quickly located at a depth of 72 meters. Weather conditions initially prevented divers from conducting search operations. The operations could be resumed on the morning of Sep 5. Divers from the Atlantic Mine Clearance Diving Group, supported by the English Channel/North Sea Mine Clearance Diving Group of the French Navy, were able to recover the bodies of the two sailors on the evening. They were identified as the captain, Christophe Houart, and Jean-Pierre Le Caër, the boatswain and mechanic. The former, aged 60 and a resident of Lanvollon, was a father of three. The latter, aged 55 and originally from Paimpol, was the father of a 13-year-old teenager.
Divers waiting for weather improvement
The wreck found near the 'Maranello'’s last AIS signal was indeed that of the vessel, the Saint-Brieuc public prosecutor has confirmed. The prosecutor has assigned the investigation to the Brest maritime gendarmerie’s research section. The French Navy’s Atlantic mine-clearing diver unit, working alongside the English Channel–North Sea unit, was evaluating possible options for descending to the wreck, which lies at a depth of 72 meters. Weather conditions on Sep 3 were unfavourable for the divers and had to be postponed to a later date, the prosecutor stated.
Trawler located in 70 metres depth
The 'Maranello' was located on the seabed on the night of Sep 1 by a French Navy vessel dispatched to the area. The Brest-based minehunter located the trawler's wreck not far from the location of its last GPS transmission, resting on the seabed at a depth of 70 meters, approximately 40 kilometers south of England. Operating in English waters, the French sailors deployed an underwater robot to pinpoint the exact location of the wreck. A British Bacy vessel, HMS 'Brocklesby', was also on the scene on the morning of Sep 2, ready to assist the French naval ship if necessary. The Navy's underwater robot conducted a reconnaissance mission and captured the first images of the trawler. This footage has been handed over to judicial authorities. The 48-strong crew of the French minehunter was awaiting instructions from the Saint-Brieuc public prosecutor's office regarding a planned human dive around and inside the wreck. The primary objective of the mission would be to attempt to recover the bodies of the two missing sailors, should they remain trapped inside the hull. The dive approaches the 80-meter operational limit for military divers. With around ten minutes of actual work at a depth of 70 meters, it is a technical and demanding dive, requiring strict adherence to safety protocols for the specialised divers involved.
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