SIX CREW RESCUED FROM FISHING VESSEL ON FIRE
Six
crew were rescued from a Banff registered fishing vessel east of Orkney this
afternoon after their 22 metre fishing vessel caught fire.
Shetland
Coastguard received a transmission from a distress radio beacon at 3.50 pm, with
the information that it had been sent from the fishing vessel ‘Denarius’ and
giving a position of 60 miles east of Orkney.
Unable to make communication with the vessel, Shetland Coastguard
scrambled the Shetland Coastguard rescue helicopter, along with issuing a mayday
relay broadcast to all vessels in the area.
After making contact with the owner of the vessel, they believed that
there were six people on board. The
owner also reported that his son was the skipper of the vessel and had contacted
him some minutes before to report that there was a fire on board. Several other vessels including the Maersk
Responder responded to the mayday to offer assistance in the search and a Bond
helicopter was also launched.
At
16.45 the Coastguard helicopter arrived on scene and winched all six crew
members into the helicopter. By this
stage they had taken to the life raft.
They were then taken from an emergency landing site to the Gilbert Bain
Hospital in Lerwick by ambulance. The
crew are described as uninjured, but walking wounded.
Shetland
Coastguard Watch Manager David Robinson said:
"The
ability of the crew to activate their EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio
Beacon) in this incident was absolutely crucial as we were immediately passed
information on their location, vessel name and shore contact which, in the
absence of the ability to communicate directly with the vessel, meant that we
were able to quickly send help to their position. We would like to thank the crew of the
several vessels and helicopter that helped in locating the Denarius and
providing on scene assistance.”