Three rescued after catamaran hits wind turbine
The fishing vessel started sinking after it crashed into the wind turbine off the Cumbrian coast. One man sustained injuries in the incident.
The crew of the 10.5 metre long catamaran contacted the Holyhead Coastguard just before 2.50am on 26 May, after the fishing vessel hit an offshore wind farm turbine.
The vessel was sinking around 2.5 miles west of Walney Island near Barrow.
The 58-year-old skipper sustained head injuries as a result of the accident.
Volunteers with the RNLI’s Barrow station launched their all-weather lifeboat, ‘Grace Dixon’ and arrived 20 minutes later alongside the catamaran.
Following an assessment, the three crew members were transferred to the lifeboat. A Coastguard helicopter was scrambled, but later stood down.
The lifeboat took the crew ashore where members of the ambulance service were waiting. The injured skipper was taken to Furness General Hospital for treatment.
Following a request from the Coastguard, the crew of the Grace Dixon returned to the scene of the accident to tow the catamaran back to shore.
The Barrow Lifeboat Operations Manager, John Falvey, said: “The vessel was listing badly when the lifeboat arrived, having taken on sea water. The crew were about to abandon the vessel, but we transferred them safely to the lifeboat which then took them to Barrow Lifeboat Station so that the injured skipper could be treated at hospital.”
The fishing vessel had been on passage from Ravenglass when it hit the turbine.
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