🌙 Early Morning Disaster

On September 19, 1958, the NM Arnel was on another of its regular routes between the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel, carrying 133 passengers and 25 crew members, under the command of Captain José Rodrigues Bernardo.

At around 3 a.m., while sailing too close to the shore, the ship struck a rock formation known as the Baixa dos Anjos (today called Baixa do Arnel), tearing a hole near the engine room. Seawater rapidly entered, disabling both the main and auxiliary engines. The vessel was left immobilized and without electricity.

⚓ The Ship and Its Purpose

The NM Arnel was built in 1955 at the Viana do Castelo Shipyards. It measured 59.57 meters in length and 10.02 meters in beam, with a capacity of 18 passengers in tourist class and 126 in third class. Like its twin ship, the NM Cedros, it belonged to the Empresa Insulana de Navegação, tasked with inter-island maritime transport in the Azores — previously served by sailing ships.

😱 Panic and Tragedy in the Dark

Panic quickly spread on board. In the darkness, the lifeboats were prepared to send help ashore, but the first attempt ended in disaster. The first lifeboat capsized, possibly due to rough seas, overloading, poor weight distribution, or a combination of these.

Shortly afterward, the Clube Asas do Atlântico radio station broadcast a report that was published the same day in Diário dos Açores:

"The motor vessel Arnel, en route from Santa Maria to Ponta Delgada, ran aground near the Anjos coast. Rough seas have hindered disembarkation. The first barge launched from the Arnel, with about 20 people aboard, sank. Only three survivors washed ashore, and eight bodies of both sexes have been recovered. Operations are now proceeding with calm and order."
— Diário dos Açores, September 19, 1958

🚁 Air Rescue and Maritime Support

In response, aircraft and five helicopters were dispatched from Lajes Military Base on Terceira Island, while rescue vessels, including a tugboat, departed from Ponta Delgada and Horta.

A breeches buoy rescue cable was set up by the Portuguese Institute for Lifesaving, although most passengers and crew were rescued by helicopter.

By 3 p.m., all remaining passengers had been evacuated. The next day, helicopters returned to recover passenger luggage.

📰 National Headlines and Fatal Toll

On September 20, 1958, Diário de Lisboa dedicated its front page to the tragedy:

"The Arnel, carrying passengers to Ponta Delgada, ran aground."
Subheading: "Of the 158 people aboard, 10 were confirmed dead and 17 were missing."

The report continued:

"Attempts were made to evacuate passengers using the lifeboats. One was lowered with around thirty passengers — mostly women and children. The sea struck furiously. With anguish from the deck, the crew watched as waves capsized the boat. Only three reached shore. The first eight bodies were recovered."
— Diário de Lisboa, September 20, 1958

🌊 The Final Drift

A few days later, ocean currents dislodged the NM Arnel from the rock. The ship floated northward, eventually running aground again on nearby coastal rocks.

Some remnants of the wreck are still visible today.
— Guide to the Underwater Cultural Heritage of the Azores, 2017, p. 20

📰 A Bizarre Editorial Juxtaposition

The September 20 edition of Açoriano Oriental featured a curious editorial layout: on the same page, the paper reported on:

1. A leisure cruise from São Miguel to Faial aboard the Arnel to witness the Capelinhos volcanic eruption, and
2. The maritime tragedy involving the same vessel, where 17 people died, went missing, or were injured.

Two vastly different events, involving the same ship, reported side by side — a remarkable editorial oversight.
— Açoriano Oriental, September 20, 1958

🧭 Final Notes

The grounding of the NM Arnel remains one of the most dramatic maritime incidents in Azorean history — a combination of navigational misjudgment, harsh natural forces, and heroic rescue efforts, remembered today both in local memory and in underwater heritage.

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