The bodies of two Breton fishermen from the Maranello trawler found off the coast of the United Kingdom

The bodies of the two Breton fishermen swept away in the sinking of the French trawler Maranello off the coast of the United Kingdom have been found, the Saint-Brieuc prosecutor's office announced this Saturday. The wreck of the trawler, which sank on August 29 off the coast of Plymouth (United Kingdom), was located in the middle of the week.

“The weather conditions made it possible to resume the search today,” said Alex Dehays, deputy public prosecutor of Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d’Armor).

“After a first dive this morning which made it possible to locate the places and assess the feasibility of the operation”, divers “were able to bring up the bodies of the two sailors this evening”, he added. “The investigation, still entrusted to the research section of the Brest maritime gendarmerie, therefore switches this evening to an investigation into the causes of death,” said the deputy prosecutor.

A distress call on August 29

The trawler Maranello, registered in Saint-Brieuc, launched a distress call on August 29 off the English port, citing problems with its fishing gear.

Another nearby trawler, the Stradale, was able to rescue three of the five crew members before the Maranello sank. But two fishermen, the ship's captain and boatswain, were missing.

A major search system was launched immediately by the British authorities, before ending Monday morning. Several French fishing vessels sailing in the area, as well as a vessel from the national navy, took part.