Mauritanian Soldiers Missing After Sea Rescue Mission

Nouakchott: Seven Mauritanian soldiers are missing after attempting to rescue a navy patrol boat encumbered by netting off the coast of the capital Nouakchott, the defence ministry said.

Contact was lost with the seven crew members late Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement, with search operations continuing into Thursday.

"This vessel was participating in a rescue operation of a national navy patrol boat immobilised by nets in an area located 30 miles (48 kilometres) north of (Nouakchott's) Friendship Port," the ministry said late Wednesday, saying last contact occurred at 11:00 pm local time Tuesday.

The statement gave no further details.

Nets are among the multitude of detritus found in the ocean off the coast of Mauritania and pose significant navigational issues.

Propellers can become tangled in the nets, immobilising boats which then have to send a distress signal for help.

Rescue teams either tow the boat to the nearest port or conduct a complex operation to untangle the propeller.

The naval patrol boat that experienced the problem was successfully towed back to port.

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