Alex Trelinski
A MEMBER of a narco boat crew died after colliding with a Guardia Civil vessel during a chase on Monday evening.
The pursuit happened 20 nautical miles south of the mouth of the Guadalquivir river in Cadiz province.
Another trafficker was seriously injured and airlifted by helicopter to hospital in Jerez de la Frontera with the remaining two crew members arrested.
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It’s the second-such incident this month in the area after a drug trafficker died on February 7 when his recreational vessel collided with a Guardia patrol boat.
The latest pursuit happened on Monday evening with the narco crew member falling into the water from the rubber boat at around 9.45pm.
Guardia officers tried to rescue him by throwing him life jackets and then two of them jumped into the sea to help him.
He rejected their assistance and even pushed away an officer before he finally drowned.
The narco boat had three powerful onboard engines and was carrying 17 hashish bales.
The chase started when a maritime rescue vessel contacted the Guardia Civil that a narco boat was spotted at the mouth of the Guadalquivir.
