"The coordinating centre for search and rescue received the indication that an 11-metre boat called 'Santa Maria dos Anjos' with six people on board had turned over," commander Paulo Vicente told Lusa, adding that one of the men had managed to swim to shore at Praia das Maçãs and contact the coastguard.


"The report comes from a survivor, a person who was sleeping, felt the vessel turn over and swam for some time to land," Vicente said. "At this moment we have already sent a team to the scene."


According to the commander, there is so far no sign of the vessel.


"We only have the information that the survivor gave us," he said. "We've sent to the spot a helicopter, the corvette Batista de Andrade and two lifeboats, ones from Ericeira and the other from Cascais."


The one survivor is now at Amadora-Sintra hospital, Vicente said, and his condition is "stable".