Six rescued from fishing boat fire

Helicopter winched crew from life raft

Six crew were rescued by helicopter after their fishing boat caught fire 60 miles east of Orkney.

The owner of the 22m Denarius reported the fire to the skipper and the EPIRB was activated.

When the Shetland Coastguard failed to communicate with the boat, the helicopter was launched and a mayday was broadcast to all vessels in the area.

All six crew were found safely in the life raft, winched into the helicopter and transferred to the Gilbert Bain hospital by ambulance. They were described as uninjured but walking wounded.

David Robinson, Shetland Coastguard watch manager, said: “The ability of the crew to activate their EPIRB 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.”