Samuel Kwesi, one of many three survivors of the ‘Villa de Pitanxo’ shipwreck that occurred within the early morning of February 15, 2022, has thanked the fishermen of the ‘Playa Menduiña 2’, the ship that rescued him, for his or her assist and braveness: “I had already accepted that I used to be going to die.”
This was said by Kwesi in an emotional tribute held on the Marín City Hall to acknowledge the work of the sailors who rescued the three survivors of the Pitanxo and a number of other of the corpses that have been discovered within the space.
In his speech, wherein tears flowed at first of his speech, Kwesi tried to clarify the troublesome scenario he skilled a 12 months in the past, when the ship sank, leaving him and different colleagues in a life raft ready to be rescued.
The Ghanaian has recounted that even though from his place they noticed a Portuguese ship two hours earlier than they have been rescued, his crew failed to identify them. During that interval, a Pitanxo companion who was additionally on the raft died, so he thought he could be the subsequent to die, since he was not carrying a survival swimsuit.
“When William died, I accepted that he was going to be subsequent, as a result of he was not carrying a swimsuit,” he stated between tears, thanking that a couple of minutes later they heard a horn from a ship that appeared from behind with out being seen on the raft earlier than.
“I did not have the energy to go up,” he recounted, so he needed to be helped to get on the ship, the place he was handled “very properly” and “like yet one more.” “I’ll always remember the hassle you made,” stated Kwesi, who moved most of these current on the occasion.
Thanks to the heroes of Villa de Pitanxo
The tribute was attended by the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda; the Minister of the Sea, Rosa Quintana; the mayoress of Marín, María Pilar Ramallo; the spokesperson for the households of the deceased, María José de Pazo, and the captain of the ‘Playa Menduiña 2’, Ramón Porto, along with different sailors of the ship and kinfolk of the deceased.
The Galician president additionally thanked the “heroes” of ‘Playa Menduiña 2’ for all of the work they did to rescue the Pitanxo survivors, displaying his “delight” for the “braveness” proven at a “so laborious” second and has mourned the tragedy. He has highlighted the significance of happening to the wreck to seek out out what occurred and that this permits a tragedy to not occur once more.
Rueda has referred on to De Pazo and Porto, who’ve labored for an entire 12 months in order that the 21 deceased usually are not forgotten. In addition, he has proven the Xunta’s assist for households “no matter time passes”. The mayoress of Marín and Rosa Quintana have additionally joined within the expressions of gratitude to the sailors of ‘Playa Menduiña 2’, who left their work to return to the rescue.
María José de Pazo, on behalf of the households of the deceased, additionally needed to thank the sailors, the Marín City Council and the Xunta. In addition, she has remembered the shipowner of ‘Playa Menduiña 2’, Moradiña, who’ve at all times handled them with “beautiful empathy”.
Rescue of corpses
She has targeted on the truth that they not solely made an effort to rescue the residing, but in addition the our bodies that have been floating within the water. “Thanks to them, at the moment there are households who can go to the cemetery to place flowers for his or her family members,” she claimed by way of the tears of the attendees.
“I do know that you simply had a nasty time and that the injuries are unforgettable. I additionally respect your honesty and braveness to inform the reality about what you noticed. This can be moral to say. You had the braveness to collaborate with the Civil Guard and the National Court and also you I need to thank him. The households will probably be eternally grateful”, De Pazo has sentenced.
Porto, who acquired a plaque from Rueda, has proven his assist for the households and has thanked his firm for his or her assist in collaborating within the rescue. “We will at all times carry these sailors in our reminiscence,” he added, referring to those that died within the Pitanxo.
The Galician fishing vessel ‘Villa de Pitanxo’ sank 450 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland (Canada) on February 15, 2022. One 12 months after the tragedy, the investigation remains to be ongoing, because the National Court appreciates proof of 21 homicides for imprudence, mentioning the captain, Juan Padín, a survivor like his nephew Eduardo Rial, as being investigated.