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Coastguard helicopter rescue fishermen from sinking boat       23/7/14

 

Stornoway coastguards co-ordinated the rescue of three fishermen after their shellfish boat starting sinking rapidly a few miles off the north west coast of the mainland on Wednesday evening.

 

The 14-metre-long Wick registered crab vessel, MFV Osprey, rapidly flooded off the coast between Cape Wrath and Kinlochbervie.  Soon, the engine stopped working and the 49-year-old boat lost power.

 

The cause of the floundering is unknown - weather conditions were excellent with near calm conditions, bright skies, and light winds.

 

The crew managed to press the emergency Mayday electronic alert button on the VHF radio before the incoming sea water reached the wheelhouse.

 

The distress alert sent at about 6.40pm automatically relayed their position to coastguards and a rescue operation immediately swung into action.

 

Stornoway coastguards also picked up a voice Mayday call on VHF Channel 16 from the crew stating the vessel was sinking and they had no power.

 

The crew abandoned ship and clambered into a liferaft. Stornoway coastguard helicopter speed to the scene and spotted the liferaft.

 

They winched the men onboard the aircraft and airlifted them to the accident and emergency department at the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway to be checked for hypothermia.

 

The Osprey later sunk to the bottom of the seabed.