Barbate will always remember the sailors of the “New Pepita Aurora”. He never forgot them, but now a plaque will keep them present in the street. While 17 years have passed since the sinking of the fishing boat, the death of eight sailors then rHe graduated from fishing in the waters of Larache (Morocco), the Town Hall of Barbate will commemorate this date with the discovery of a plaque bearing the names of these eight fishermen.
This Thursday, September 5, in the port of Barbate, next to the Chapel of Our Lady of CarmenA solemn response and a wreath of flowers will also be distributed in memory of the sailors.
Manuel Reyes Moreno, Andrés Lucio Groslán, Manuel Alba García, Francisco Cla Caballero, Manuel Sánchez Biela, Antonio Miguel Gil Guerrero, Manuel Corrales Oribe and Manuel Fernández Fernández are the names of these eight sailors that the September 5, 2007 They lost their lives when their boat capsized.
They were sailing in rough seas with strong winds of over 25 kilometers per hour. Around 2:30 p.m. the fishing boat ‘Nueva Pepita Aurora’ capsized 14 miles southeast of Barbate. He was returning after fishing off the coast of Morocco. Of his 16 crew members, eight lost their lives and eight others were rescued by a boat sailing nearby.
According to the investigation, the ship was unable to withstand the storm due to its excessive weight and blocked water outlets. The ship’s captain was csentenced to 18 months in prison as a punishment for eight crimes of negligent homicide, seven for negligent injury and one crime against workers’ rights.
During these 17 years, the municipality of Barbate has hosted floral offerings, masses, exhibitions and other acts of remembrance for the victims of this shipwreck. Now, in 2024, a commemorative plaque will be unveiled with the names of the eight sailors who died. “Respect and perpetual homage to those who left a irreparable void in their families and throughout Barbate,” explained Ana Valencia, cultural advisor.
Thus, the tragedies not only of the “Nuevo Pepita Aurora” but also of the “Young Alonso”, disappeared on December 8, 1960 near Cape Spartel with 39 crew members of whom “we never heard from again.”
Also from “Dolores de Gomar”, a fishing boat that collided with a Navy ship in 1972 and cost the lives of five sailors. As well as the sinking of the fishing boat “King of Children”. The mayor, Miguel Molina, emphasizes that it is a memory for each of the fishermen who one day found their last breath at sea.
