Discover the Angeles-Alvarino: Ratings & Maritime News

On October 21, 2021, the research vessel 'Ángeles Alvariño' played a crucial role in recovering a lost anchor and pipeline connection for a water-supplying tanker serving banana plantations in the Puerto Naos region of La Palma. The tanker lost its anchoring and submarine pipeline connection during a maneuver, prompting the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) to be called in for assistance. The installation company for the water supply system contacted the General Water Directorate under the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITERD) to request urgent intervention. To conduct the search, the ROV 'Liropus' undertook visual inspections in depths of up to 240 meters. After an exhaustive six-hour search, it was determined that the anchor may have destabilized and potentially fallen down a small underwater canyon. In light of this, the IEO marine geology team aboard 'Ángeles Alvariño' initiated a high-resolution bathymetric survey to effectively identify the anchor's location or at least narrow down potential search areas. Analyzing the processed data allowed them to pinpoint three possible locations for the anchor based on the underwater terrain's morphology, acoustic impedance, and the predicted paths the structure would have taken. At the first sampling point, the operation proved successful, with the team recovering the anchor from over 130 meters below the surface. The complex recovery involved securing the anchor using the ROV. Following this operation, the scientific team, dedicated to the Vulcana project (focused on Canarian Submarine Volcanology), returned to their primary mission. They resumed studying the physical-chemical and biological characteristics of the water column, as well as monitoring the ongoing lava flow into the ocean. The 'Ángeles Alvariño' had arrived at La Palma on October 17 to continue research efforts initiated during a previous campaign led by the 'Ramón Margalef' to better understand the impact of lava intrusions on marine ecosystems. The interdisciplinary team of oceanographers, geologists, and microbiologists continues to investigate the effects of volcanic activity on both benthic and pelagic habitats.

The investigation into the disappearance of Tomás and Anna Gimeno is nearing its conclusion, as the head of the Court of Violence against Women in Santa Cruz de Tenerife has indicated that the search efforts using the research vessel 'Ángeles Alvariño' will be halted in the coming days. The challenging underwater environment has made it increasingly clear that continuing these operations is no longer feasible due to the area’s hazardous terrain. Operations manager for the ship described the targeted locale as 'completely unapproachable' for effective search efforts due to intense underwater currents. The concern remains that any weighted body could drift away from the search area, complicating recovery efforts further. Previously, an unmanned submersible successfully located the body of one of Tomás Gimeno's daughters, Olivia, which was found inside a weighted sports bag. Nearby, another bag of similar design was discovered, believed to have contained the remains of his younger daughter, Anna; however, this bag was found cracked and empty. In the following search on June 10, the 'Ángeles Alvariño' discovered two oxygen tanks in a more distant part of the ocean, leading investigators to believe that this is where Tomás Gimeno may have jumped into the sea in a tragic act of suicide. The Civil Guard uncovered that during the boat's erratic drift after losing mobile signal, Gimeno's vessel briefly regained engine power, navigating for a few minutes before stopping again. Reports sent to the presiding judge indicated that this second point of cessation became the prime suspect location where Tomás may have taken his last plunge into the ocean. Subsequently, within a newly defined 500-meter depth search zone, the Liropus 2000 underwater robot conducted an exhaustive survey, completing 176 lines and traversing a total distance of over 60 kilometers, covering an area of more than 611,000 square meters. In that vicinity, the two diving tanks belonging to Tomás Gimeno were recovered; these specific tanks provide a limited air supply, fueling speculation that he used them during his final moments to reach significant depth, preventing any chance of resurfacing. Researchers meticulously established search patterns in five-meter increments around the find site of the oxygen tanks to ensure no objects, no matter how small, had been overlooked. Efforts were also made to locate a lead belt that Tomás may have used, which would indicate he was intentionally adrift, but it has yet to be found.

The search efforts involving the research vessel 'Ángeles Alvariño' will carry on in the quest for Anna and Tomás, continuing until the underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on board suffers a definitive breakdown. Currently, the ROV has surpassed its expected operational lifespan and will soon require a return journey to its home base in Vigo, Galicia, for maintenance, a process that could lead to several weeks of halted search activities. Additionally, it has been confirmed that the underwater robot proposed by the Tenerife Council lacks the necessary qualifications for the mission.