A dredger that had sunk near the Faro-Olhão entrance to the Ria Formosa lagoon was removed over the weekend.
The ‘Camião’ sunk on June 5th and had been lying 30 metres below the waves ever since.
The 14 metre dredger sank when under tow, entering the lagoon area on a short journey from Tavira.
The lone sailor on board was rescued by the Maritime Police and the entrance had to be closed to traffic while the exact depth and location of the sunken vessel was established by police divers.
The owner, Sofareia Lda, was ordered to remove its vessel, the second of its fleet had sunk in the Ria Formosa area in the past 18 months. The company had to lodge a sizeable deposit, held until the vessel was removed.
Sofareia’s dredger, ‘Brasinho’ sunk near the Armona island entrance to the Ria Formosa in early 2018 and later was swallowed by the ever shifting sands after attempts to remove her proved notably unsuccessful.
