Sunken Jersey fishing boat bodies identified

Jervis Ramirez Baligat and Larry Simyunn were aboard the L'Ecume II as crewmen when it sank

Two bodies recovered from near a sunken fishing trawler off the coast of Jersey have been identified as the crewmen.

Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat died when L'Ecume II sank after it collided with a freight ferry at about 05:30 GMT on 8 December.

A search and recovery operation for the boat's missing skipper, Micheal Michieli, continues.

Jersey Police said its "thoughts continue to be with the families and friends affected by this tragedy".

The bodies of Mr Simyunn and Mr Baligat were found on Thursday, 15 December as part of the search operation.

A team is searching inside the wreck and the surrounding seabed, with an exclusion zone remaining around the area.

The captain of the fishing vessel Michael Michieli is yet to be found

Ports of Jersey confirmed it had recovered personal items of the crew, which would be returned to family members once investigations concluded.

An investigation led by Maritime Standards with support from police was continuing, alongside another by the Bahamas Maritime Authority where the Condor Ferries vessel was registered.

The vessel it collided with - another Condor boat called the Commodore Goodwill - has been investigated and since been deployed back into service.

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