The widespread search for the two missing Olhão fishermen has been suspended after 11 days. The decision was taken at noon today but normal sea and land patrols will of course be on the lookout for their bodies and traces of the missing boat, 'Rainha da Brisa.'
The two fishermen, 37 and 58, were last sighted near Isla Deserta where the maritime authority has been concentrating searches in the last four days, with the help of a team form the Hydrographic Institute which has been surveying the seabed with sonar.
The commander of the southern maritime area explained that the sonar operation has scanned an area of 3.5 square kilometres, but to no avail.
Maritime commander Malachi Domingues said that the search will be resumed if there is any traces of the fishermen or of their boat, but for now the full time search has been called off as the weather conditions are worsening.
The only clue that has been found since the men disappeared was the discovery of a fishing buoy near Meia Praia in Lagos that was identified as coming from their boat.
Unless something is detected that warrants the resumption of the search the bodies and the boat will remain at sea, to the distress of relatives.
