Five crew members have been rescued from a fishing vessel that got into difficulties off Balbriggan shortly after 5.15 this morning. The Dublin based Coast Guard helicopter, RNLI units from Skerries, Howth and Clogherhead and Skerries Coast Guard unit all participated in an operation coordinated by the Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Dublin.
Despite efforts to avert onboard flooding, using pumps supplied by the Coast Guard and RNLI the vessel sunk shortly after 8 am.
The crew despite the ordeal are reported to be in good spirits.
RNLI Adds: (11.40am)
The RNLI was alerted at 5.15am that a vessel with five people onboard a 12m fishing trawler had run aground south of Balbriggan.
Skerries inshore lifeboat helmed by Eoin Grimes launched along with Howth RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat under Coxswain Fred Connolly and Clogherhead RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat under Coxswain Noel Sharkey. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 from Dublin was also tasked to the scene. Skerries coast guard unit.
Weather conditions at the time were described as overcast with a south easterly Force 3-4 wind blowing.
First on scene, Skerries RNLI set up a tow line but attempts to take the vessel off failed. The lifeboat crew proceeded to take the fishermen off their vessel and transferred them onto the lifeboat. On arrival of the all-weather lifeboat from Howth, the fishermen were then safely transferred by the crew on to it.
In a bid to salvage the fishing vessel, two pumps from Clogherhead and Howth lifeboats were put onboard along with a third from the helicopter. However, despite the crews’ efforts, the pumps couldn’t overcome the water ingress and the boat sank shortly after 8am.
The fishermen were brought safely to shore in Skerries by Howth’s lifeboat where they arrived at 8.25am.
Speaking following the call out, Colm Newport, Howth RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all crews involved this morning, the vessel did sink but thankfully all five fishermen have been returned safely to shore and we would like to wish them well following their ordeal. They did the right thing this morning and raised the alarm once they began to encounter difficulties and we were happy to be able to help.
‘This call out involved lifeboat crews from three RNLI stations and our colleagues from the Irish Coast Guard, all of whom using their skills and training worked well together to bring the fishermen to safety.’