Fishermen activated their McMurdo EPIRB after vessel caught fire and they evacuated into life rafts
Five fisherman were rescued after their boat caught fire and they evacuated into life rafts.
The fishermen on board Onward, a fishing vessel registered in Buckie,
were 50 miles north-west of the Stromness when the fire
forced them to evacuate into life rafts. They activated their McMurdo EPIRM at 13:28 on Wednesday 11th April. The Shetland Coastguard received
the alert and broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area.
A maritime surveillance aircraft was also tasked to attend the scene
and report back, after which time a Coastguard rescue helicopter at
Sumburgh was sent. On arrival, the five fishermen were winched to safety
and all taken to Kirkwall hospital suffering from hypothermia.
“The rescue of these five fishermen last week
highlights just how important it is to carry a distress beacon for when
an emergency situation occurs,” said Ross Wilkinson, Global Sales Director of Orolia Ltd. “Thanks to this beacon being correctly
registered, the emergency services were able to quickly establish which
vessel had issued the distress alert and effectively activate a rescue
operation.”