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RF embassy makes public names of 3 sailors from wrecked ship

Roman Savin and Vitaly Kornenko were saved, Leonid Sapunov was found dead, five are still reported missing

LONDON, November 28 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian Embassy in Great Britain made public the names of two survived sailors and another one sailor found dead in the Irish Sea after the wreckage of the Swanland freighter on Sunday.

The Swanland crew was made up of eight Russian sailors. Five of them are still reported missing, but the British Coastguard reported that there is no hope to find them alive.

Two Russian sailors were saved. Their names are Roman Savin and Vitaly Kornenko. A helicopter, which was piloted by Prince William, evacuated them from the life raft at the wreckage site.

The third sailor Leonid Sapunov was found dead in the sea several hours later.

Five Russian sailors are reported missing. The embassy did not make public their names.

“The saved sailors received medical aid. The Torbulk Ltd Company, which is the Swanland shipowner, helps them as well. After all formalities Savin and Kornenko will be brought back to Russia with the assistance of the Russian Embassy in London. The official results of the investigation into the ship wreckage are expected not earlier than in a few months, local law enforcement agencies reported. The embassy is keeping in close contact with British authorities and the shipowner,” Russian diplomats noted.

The Swanland freighter was en route from a port of the Welsh coast to the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. The freighter was carrying 3,000 tonnes of limestone.

She was caught in a storm overnight to Sunday in the Irish Sea. Amid hurricane winds and high waves the hull cracked and she sank not far from the Llyn peninsula in north-western Wales.

The Coastguard of Britain and Ireland were conducting a search-and-rescue operation in the Swanland wreckage area all Sunday. The bad weather – hurricane winds and a storm hampered the rescue operation.

The search operation was suspended at 4.45 p.m. local time (8.45 p.m. Moscow time), the Welsh Coastguard reported over the darkfall and the bad weather.

If the weather is favourable on Monday, the search for sailors will continue, the Welsh Coastguard reported.