Trawler flooding sparks emergency response
8th May 2023
A trawler that issued a Mayday call reporting that it was taking on water 20 miles off the Pembrokeshire coast sparked a multi-agency response.
The Mayday, issued shortly after 4pm on Monday, 24 April from Our Olivia Belle BD 277, initiated a response from Tenby and Angle all-weather lifeboats, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R924 from Newquay, an MOD Range safety vessel and a nearby survey ship.
The trawler, which was south of St Govan’s Head, reported that it was in the process of preparing the vessel’s liferaft for abandonment.
Our Olivia Belle BD 277 was south of St Govan’s Head when it issued a Mayday. (Photo: RNLI/Ben James)
The Angle lifeboat, which arrived on the scene shortly after the MOD vessel, transferred two RNLI crew members along with a salvage pump to the vessel to assist its crew in attempting to pump out the water.
Shortly afterwards, the crew reported that the trawler’s own pumps were managing to lower the water levels, and the source of the leak had been located and repaired. The rescue helicopter and the survey vessel were then stood down.
In a statement, the RNLI said: “Both Tenby and Angle lifeboats stood by until the skipper of the casualty vessel was happy that he could make his own way back to Ilfracombe.
“Once they were happy that the vessel was no longer in danger and could make its own way back to harbour, Angle lifeboat retrieved their crew and pump, and then both lifeboats returned to their respective stations, with Tenby arriving back on station at 6.35pm.”
This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.
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