ARGOS GEORGIA

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Sailors laid to rest

On Aug 20, the Galician towns of Vigo, Baiona and Noia said goodbye to the sailors César Acevedo, Santiago Leyenda and Antonio Barreiro, crew members of the 'Argos Georgia', all of whom died in the shipwreck on July 23, west of the Falklands. The bodies of the sailors had arrived during the previous few hours in Galicia, on a flight from the United Kingdom with a stopover in Madrid, and were received at the Coruña terminal of Alvedro by families and friends, as well as by the Government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco and the regional minister for the Sea, Alfonso Villares. After the transfer to their respective towns and the wakes, it is planned that they were buried or cremated. The body of the Argos Georgia's fishing captain, César Acevedo, aged 55, was laid to rest in the private funeral home of the Vigo parish of Valadares (where the family received a visit from the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero. In the case of the ship's cook, Santiago Leyenda, aged 39, the wake was held in the Sabarís funeral home, in Baiona, and at 5:45 p.m. the body was taken to the Collegiate Church of Baiona, where the funeral was held prior to the burial. The second engineer, Antonio Barreiro, from Noia, was said goodbye in strict family privacy with a mass that was to take place in the Apóstol funeral complex in Santiago, before his cremation.

Bodies of three Spaniards back in Spain

Almost a month after the sinking of the 'Argos Georgia' in the waters of the Falkland Islands, the relatives of the three Spaniards who lost their lives received their bodies on Aug 19. The plane with the mortal remains of Santiago Leyenda, the main cook of the boat; César Acevedo, the fishing skipper of the vessel, and Antonio Barreiro, the 2nd engineer, was scheduled to land at around 5:00 p.m. at the Alvedro Airport, in A Coruña, on a commercial flight from Madrid. From there they will depart in hearses to their places of origin: Baiona and Vigo, in Pontevedra, and Noia (A Coruña). The bodies of the deceased could not be transported on the military plane chartered by the Spanish Government due to the protocols required by the British authorities. Thus, the bodies of the nine who died in the sinking of the longliner were transported to Great Britain and landed on July 31 in Brize Norton, in the county of Oxfordshire, to undergo forensic examinations that confirmed that among them was the crew member of Noia Antonio Barreiro, who was initially listed as missing. The Government tried to speed up the bureaucracy to bring Barreiro, Leyenda and César Acevedo to Galicia, although the transfer has been the responsibility of the shipowner and it was already assumed that it would take at least two weeks.

Identification of Spaniards completed

The United Kingdom has confirmed that the third Spaniard who died in the sinking of the 'Argos Georgia' is a resident of Noia (A Coruña), who until now was on the list of missing persons. It is still unknown when the repatriation of the bodies will take place. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the Spanish Executive that the identification of the bodies of the three Spaniards who lost their lives has already been completed. Finally, the deceased Spaniards correspond to residents of Vigo, Baiona and Noia. While the fourth Spanish sailor who remains missing was from Ribeira. In addition, four Galicians have survived the sinking. The Government Delegation in Galicia has indicated that the British authority has issued provisional death certificates to authorize the repatriation, although the specific date on which this will occur is still unknown. The Government delegate has already informed the families and the Xunta de Galicia. Meanwhile, the families of those who died in the shipwreck are still waiting for the repatriation of the recovered bodies. Asked about this matter, the Government sub-delegate in A Coruña, María Rivas, indicated on Aug 8 that "the families were in permanent contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the Government delegate," who are providing them with "recent and accurate information on the dates" of the repatriation. Among the deceased are the Galicians César Acevedo, a resident of Vigo and the vessel's fishing captain, and Santiago Leyenda, from Baiona (Pontevedra) and the vessel's main cook. Among the missing is Galician Juan Antonio García Rey, known as 'Pichón' and engine replacement, from Ribeira (A Coruña).