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Jersey fishing boat sinking: Two crewmen named

BBC L'Ecume IIBBC
L'Ecume II sank after the collision with a freight vessel

Two crewmen missing after their fishing boat was involved in a collision with a freight vessel off Jersey have been named.

Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat were on board the L'Ecume II when it sank off Jersey at about 05:30 GMT on Thursday, Ports of Jersey (POJ) said.

Both men had been on the boat with skipper Michael Michieli.

A search operation for the men was called off on Friday with attention switching to recovery of the vessel.

Mr Michieli and the two crew members were on the L'Ecume II when it collided with the Commodore Goodwill.

The Jersey Coastguard, RNLI, Channel Islands Air Search and local fishermen were involved in the search.

The POJ said all rescue options had "been exhausted" in efforts to find the men.

Family handout Michael MichieliFamily handout
The captain of the fishing vessel has been named as Michael Michieli, an experienced and respected fisherman

The search had entered a second day after the L'Ecume II sank in about 131ft (40m) of water.

The POJ said: "All possible rescue activities [have] been exhausted in an effort to find the three missing fishermen.

"We are aware that this is very difficult for friends and family of the men, and we extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by this tragic incident."

Commodore Goodwill in Jersey
Signs of a collision are visible on the hull of the Commodore Goodwill

A remotely-operated underwater craft is expected to conduct a "more detailed survey" of the collision site to inform the recovery phase of the operation in the next week.

A large offshore support vessel commissioned by POJ to conduct the survey is expected off Jersey's west coast at about 06:00 GMT on Sunday.

A maritime exclusion zone is in place for the area, and "islanders are urged to respect this, so the vessel's crew can complete their work unimpeded", said the POJ.

An investigation, led by Maritime Standards with support from police, has been commissioned.

Condor Ferries confirmed its freight ship had been involved in the collision.

Because its vessel is registered in the Bahamas, a separate "safety-focused investigation" will be run by the Bahamas Maritime Authority in collaboration with Jersey authorities.

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