Work starts on raising lost Jersey fishing trawler

The L’Ecume II is to be lifted as part of a police investigation into the tragedy

Work has begun in Jersey to begin raising the wreck of the 18m trawler L’Ecume II, which sank with three men onboard following a collision with the commercial ferry Condor Goodwill on 8 December, 2022.

A 21m dive support vessel, the Willchallenge, has arrived in Jersey, and will be the base for a specialist team of nine divers and support crew who will survey the wreck and carry out preliminary work before the lifting operation starts.

A 20m tug, Multrasalvor 3, began laying anchors on the site in preparation for deploying the 60m Gaverland recovery barge that will lift L’Ecume II.

After the wreck has been raised, it will be transported to La Collette, the southernmost point of the town of St Helier near the London Berth and South Pier, where it will be stored at a secure location, under States of Jersey Police supervision.

A 1,000m maritime exclusion zone will remain in force in the area until the recovery operations are completed.

Two bodies were recovered from the wreck and identified as crewmen Jervis Ramirez Baligat and Larry Simyunn from the Philippines, but the third man, skipper Michael ‘Mick’ Michieli, has not been found.

This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.

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