FISH CARRIER IN DIFFICULTY OFF CAPE WRATH

At just after 20:00hrs yesterday a Lerwick registered fish carrier ‘Norholm’ informed Stornoway Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre that they had lost engine power and were drifting towards Cape Wrath in a westerly gale. The vessel has four crew and is 32 metres long.

 The ‘Norholm’ tried to use its anchors to keep itself away from the shoreline but this wasn’t working and so Stornoway rescue coordination centre sent the RNLI all-weather lifeboat from Lochinver to the scene to help hold the ‘Norholm’ away from the shoreline. The Coastguard rescue helicopter based in Stornoway was also sent to the scene in case the crew of the ‘Norholm’ needed to abandon their vessel.

The Lochinver lifeboat not only managed to hold the ‘Norholm’ off the shore but succeeded in taking it back out to sea and around Cape Wrath. The Coastguard rescue helicopter has now returned to its base and RNLI all-weather from Thurso is now on their way to the scene to take over from their Lochinver colleagues whilst the tug ‘Herakles’ is on its way from Orkney.


The tug ‘Herakles’ is expected to arrive on scene at around 08:00hrs before the forecast severe gales arrive. Shetland Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre are now coordinating the response as the ‘Norholm’ is now in their area.

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