The National Maritime Authority, through the Local Command of the Maritime Police and the Viana do Castelo Lifeboat Station, assisted last night three people of Spanish and Swedish nationality, aged between 25 and 40. The three people had been rescued by a merchant ship after the High-Speed Vessel they were traveling on became adrift, about 60 nautical miles west of Viana do Castelo.
Following an alert received at 12:45 through the Lisbon Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, elements from the Lifeboat Station, the Port Captaincy, the Maritime Police Central Criminal Investigation Unit, the GNR Coastal and Border Control Unit and the Judicial Police were activated. The vessel was being towed toward the port of Viana do Castelo.
Maritime Police elements rescued the people upon arrival alongside the merchant ship, about two nautical miles west of the outer breakwater of Viana do Castelo, while the Lifeboat Station crew proceeded to tow the vessel to the quay. The people, who were physically well, were identified and, after coordination with the Judicial Police, voluntarily left the facilities, remaining identified in the process.
The vessel, flying a Spanish flag, was seized as a precautionary measure within the ongoing investigation, which involved coordination between the Maritime Police, the Judicial Police, the GNR UCCF and the Public Prosecutor's Office. The Local Command of the Maritime Police of Viana do Castelo took charge of the incident.
