Eight crew members have been rescued at sea after a fishing boat crashed near the Shetland Islands.
The alarm was raised around 12pm on Thursday, October 6 when HM Coastguard was alerted to a vessel having gone down 45 nautical miles south-east of Sumburgh, close to Fair Isle.
The crew of the Peterhead based Guiding Star H360 declared a mayday before abandoning the ship to a life-raft after colliding with another vessel – their sister boat Guiding Light.
Footage taken during the life-saving operation shows the HM Coastguard helicopter rescuing the fishing crew from the life-boat, while they float in the choppy waves below.
One person dangles precariously in mid-air, while the team member slowly hauls them skyward. Others remain in the water, calmly waiting for their turn to be rescued.
All crew members were accounted for after being taken to safety by assisting vessels and the Coastguard helicopter. Three men were airlifted to hospital in Shetland. The injuries they sustained, as well as their current condition, is not yet known.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), MCA Counter Pollution and Salvage, the Receiver of Wreck and Northern Lighthouse Board have been informed.
Max Rimington, Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Commander with HM Coastguard, said: “The crew did the right thing by having an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) onboard which helped guide the response.
“We are so thankful everyone is accounted for and grateful to the crew, and the nearby vessels which responded, for helping us achieve a good outcome.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "Officers were made aware of a fishing vessel taking on water some 40 miles South/Southwest of Sumburgh, Shetland, close to Fair Isle, around 2.10pm on Thursday, 6 October, 2022.
"HM Coastguard rescued three men from the water and transported them by air to hospital in Shetland. The vessel sank.
“The remaining five crew members were taken aboard the sister vessel and are being conveyed to Peterhead. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been notified.”
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