The 26 crew members of the fishing boat Ely and vessel observer from the Inter-American Commission of Tropical Tuna (ICAT) will be returning to Manta, Ecuador tomorrow on board the vessel Aurora B, informed Carlos Calero, director of tuna canning plant Conservas Isabel.
The crew was rescued soon after fire broke on board ship Ely. According to Calero, despite the wreckage, which started by a mishap in the engine room, the vessel did not sink and can therefore be salvaged and brought back to Manta. However, the boat is still hot because of the fire and cannot be returned as yet, the tuna industrialist said.
The crew of the Ely was rescued fifteen hours after it got on fire by the US ship Mall Valparaiso and was later transferred to the vessel Aurora B, property of Conservas Isabel.