Specialist divers survey sunken L'Ecume II fishing boat as recovery operation begins

The L'Ecume II sank after a collision with the Commodore Goodwill freight ship in December 2022. Credit: ITV Channel

An experienced team of nine divers has begun surveying the L'Ecume II fishing boat that sank in December after a collision with a Condor ferry.

It marks the first stage of a complex recovery operation with a 1,000-metre exclusion zone now in place around the wreck off Jersey's northwest coast.

Specialist equipment including a 60-metre crane barge and 20-metre tugboat arrived in the island last week and have now been deployed to the site.

Once the survey is completed, the L'Ecume II could be lifted within days if the weather is suitable.

It will then be transported to Jersey and held in a secure location by the island's police force as they continue to investigate what happened.

Three fishermen were on board when the collision happened.

Two bodies have already been recovered and officials believe missing skipper Michael Michieli remains in the vessel.

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