On the 13th November 2002, a distress call was sent out by the Prestige oil tanker (with 77,000 tonnes of heavy fuel), offshore of Cape Finisterre, on the Atlantic coast of Galicia, to the northwest of Spain.
In heavy sea and strong wind conditions, the vessel broke up and started leaking its load, some 28 miles off the coast.
Partial evacuation of the crew was undertaken and attempts were made to tow the oil tanker with tug boats.