MADRID — A Spanish fishing boat sank early Tuesday in rough seas off Newfoundland in eastern Canada, killing at least seven people, an official in Spain said.
Brian Owens, a spokesman for the rescue center, said high winds, heavy seas and fog were hampering the search, centered on the debris field from the sunken vessel.
Owens said three Cormorant helicopters were rotating in and out of the search area, while a provincial airlines aircraft and a C-130 Hercules were flying overhead doing sensor sweeps.
A Spanish fishing boat working not far from the site of the sinking was the first to arrive and found three survivors and four bodies in one of the fishing boat’s four lifeboats, officials said.
The boat’s owner, Grupo Nores, didn’t immediately reply to calls or written questions.
The news was a tragic blow to the port town of Marin in northwestern Galicia, where many make their livings from the sea.