- Published
The bodies of two French fishermen who had been missing since their trawler sank in the English Channel have been found, French prosecutors have said.
The Maranello trawler sank off the coast of Plymouth on 29 August after reporting problems with its fishing gear, with three of the five crew members rescued by a nearby vessel.
A major search operation involving HM Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats from Devon and Cornwall, and French authorities was suspended after two days.
Alex Dehays, deputy prosecutor in Saint-Brieuc, said divers found and recovered the bodies on Saturday after weather conditions allowed searches to resume.
The five-man crew raised a distress call at about 18:00 BST on 29 August.
A nearby fishing vessel, the Stradale, rescued three crew members before the Maranello sank.
The search for the missing fishermen involved UK and French rescue teams in waters south-west of the Eddystone Lighthouse, off Plymouth.
RNLI crews from Falmouth and Newlyn in Cornwall, and Plymouth and Salcombe in Devon, were involved in the search.
A UK coastguard spokesperson added a large number of civilian vessels also assisted in the operation.
Poor weather delayed dives to the vessel after it was found.
One of the rescued sailors was taken to hospital in Truro, Cornwall, by helicopter for treatment while the other two received medical attention in Plymouth.
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