Two Missing After French Fishing Trawler Sinks in the English Channel off Plymouth

A French fishing trawler named Maranello sank in the English Channel on Saturday evening, south-west of Plymouth. Two crew members are still missing.

The Maranello had five people aboard when a fishing net became caught in the engine and caused the sinking, according to French maritime sources. The trawler, registered in Saint-Quay-Portrieux in Brittany, sent a distress call shortly after 18:00 BST on 29 August 2026. It went down roughly 15 miles south of the Eddystone Lighthouse.

Three survivors were brought ashore and taken to hospital. RNLI lifeboats from Plymouth and Falmouth attended, alongside HM Coastguard aircraft. La Garonne from the French Navy joined the search for the missing crew, according to Anadolu Agency. French fishing boats also took part in the overnight operation. Because currents were expected to push toward the Atlantic, search coordination was transferred to the maritime authority responsible for that zone.

The Maranello was new to MarineRadar tracking. It appeared in the platform's data for the first time during the incident, with 18 devices looking up the trawler in the 24 hours of the event.