FISHING BOAT FIRE OFF FRASERBURGH
Aberdeen Coastguard are currently coordinating the rescue of 14 crew members from a Danish registered fishing boat six miles off Fraserburgh after a fire was reported in her engine room. The helicopter, lifeboat and standby vessels that were sent to help are acting with caution due to the 40,000 litres of fuel on board the 38 metre vessel.
Crew on board the ‘Vardborg’ called Aberdeen Coastguard at 12.23 am to advise that they had located a fire in their engine room, had shut down the power and were currently drifting. They had contained the fire, activated the on-board fire fighting systems and attempted to extinguish it with halon gas but were in need of assistance. Aberdeen Coastguard sent a rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth, Fraserburgh and Peterhead RNLI lifeboats and two local standby vessels to the scene, but due to the large amount of fuel oil on board the decision was made to tow the vessel into an isolated berth in Peterhead and allow fire crews from Grampian Fire and Rescue to extinguish the fire. The master was advised to prepare all non-essential to board liferafts in the event that the situation worsened.
At 01.26 the Peterhead lifeboat began towing the vessel into Peterhead, (with the Fraserburgh lifeboat acting as an escort), where it will be met by local fire crews, the Peterhead Coastguard Rescue Team and the harbour tug. During the tow, the rescue helicopter contacted Aberdeen Coastguard to advise that they had used their onboard thermal imaging camera to ascertain that the fire had in fact gone out; however fire crews will continue to be in attendance to confirm this.
George Downie, Aberdeen Coastguard Watch Manager said:
“With the amount of fuel oil on board this longline fishing boat, this is an extremely risky rescue that needed to be undertaken with the safety of not only the crew on the fishing boat, but also those on board the lifeboat, helicopter and nearby vessels in mind. The safest option was certainly to allow the lifeboat to take the vessel under tow to an isolated berth in a local port, where the crew can be removed and local fire crews can ascertain whether the fire has now been extinguished.”
Crew on board the ‘Vardborg’ called Aberdeen Coastguard at 12.23 am to advise that they had located a fire in their engine room, had shut down the power and were currently drifting. They had contained the fire, activated the on-board fire fighting systems and attempted to extinguish it with halon gas but were in need of assistance. Aberdeen Coastguard sent a rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth, Fraserburgh and Peterhead RNLI lifeboats and two local standby vessels to the scene, but due to the large amount of fuel oil on board the decision was made to tow the vessel into an isolated berth in Peterhead and allow fire crews from Grampian Fire and Rescue to extinguish the fire. The master was advised to prepare all non-essential to board liferafts in the event that the situation worsened.
At 01.26 the Peterhead lifeboat began towing the vessel into Peterhead, (with the Fraserburgh lifeboat acting as an escort), where it will be met by local fire crews, the Peterhead Coastguard Rescue Team and the harbour tug. During the tow, the rescue helicopter contacted Aberdeen Coastguard to advise that they had used their onboard thermal imaging camera to ascertain that the fire had in fact gone out; however fire crews will continue to be in attendance to confirm this.
George Downie, Aberdeen Coastguard Watch Manager said:
“With the amount of fuel oil on board this longline fishing boat, this is an extremely risky rescue that needed to be undertaken with the safety of not only the crew on the fishing boat, but also those on board the lifeboat, helicopter and nearby vessels in mind. The safest option was certainly to allow the lifeboat to take the vessel under tow to an isolated berth in a local port, where the crew can be removed and local fire crews can ascertain whether the fire has now been extinguished.”
