Search continues for missing man after speedboat hits obstacle off Tavira

The incident

A person was reported missing on the evening of 11 November after a high-speed boat struck a physical obstacle near Tavira in the Faro district of southern Portugal. SIC Notícias reports that the missing person is a Moroccan citizen who fell from the vessel as it left the Barra de Tavira. The alert was raised at 22:34 by crew members who were on board, and the Algarve sub-regional command said the incident took place in the area of Cabanas de Tavira beach. The Maritime Police and GNR identified the crew members and took them to hospital. Sea conditions were rough, as the Faro district had been under a red warning on the day because of the Charles depression, and a yellow warning for rough seas remained in force until 03:00 on 12 November.

The search

Searches resumed on 12 November, PÚBLICO confirmed with Civil Protection. The most recent count, from a report published early on 12 November, put 20 operatives, nine vehicles and two boats at the scene, drawn from the Maritime Police, firefighters, INEM, GNR and PSP. An earlier Civil Protection listing had cited five operatives and three vehicles. SIC Notícias reported that two boats, a personal watercraft and a team on land were working at the site.

Evidence aboard the boat

SIC Notícias reports that fuel was found on the high-speed boat and that it is consistent with the routine supply operations of drug trafficking networks. None of the other reports mention this detail.

What is not yet known

The reports do not say whether the missing man has been found. They also do not explain what caused the boat to strike the obstacle, or how long the man may have been in the water.