Fishing crew rescued after boat sinks off Fair Isle following collision
- Published
The coastguard was involved in the rescue effort
The crew of a fishing vessel have been rescued after their boat sank off Fair Isle following a collision with another vessel.
Coastguards were alerted about midday that Guiding Star was in trouble about 45 miles (72km) from the island.
The eight crew abandoned ship after the collision.
Police said three men rescued from the water were flown to Shetland. The remaining five were taken aboard the sister vessel to be taken to Peterhead.
A video posted on YouTube by the HM Coastguard showed some of the men being winched to safety.
Allow YouTube content?
This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
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."
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has been informed.
It said in a statement: "The MAIB has been notified of the collision between the UK-registered fishing vessels Guiding Light and Guiding Star.
"The collision resulted in the flooding and sinking of the Guiding Star, and the rescue of its eight crew.
"The MAIB has commenced an investigation and a team of inspectors have deployed and will begin gathering evidence. The purpose of the MAIB Investigation is to improve safety and prevent recurrence."