Ten fishermen were rescued and six bodies recovered yesterday after a German-registered Spanish trawler with 16 crew on board sank 200 miles north-west of Malin Head, Co Donegal.
The Shannon-based Irish Coastguard Sikorsky helicopter located a tenth man who survived on his own in heavy seas for over 12 hours. Clyde Coastguard said the man had been wearing a survival suit, as had five of the others rescued. Nine of his colleagues were winched from a life-raft by a British Coastguard helicopter early yesterday and flown to Benbecula in Scotland's Western Isles, after their 30-metre trawler, Hansa, sent out a distress signal just after 11 p.m. on Monday.
The bodies of six remaining crew were recovered later yesterday afternoon. The 10 survivors, mainly Spanish but also including the German master, were said to be shocked and suffering from mild hypothermia. Weather conditions in the area at the time of the alert were south-easterly winds of 38 knots, and 15 foot seas.
The Shannon-based Sikorsky and an Air Corps Casa maritime patrol aircraft were among several units tasked by Clyde Coastguard, which co-ordinated the rescue after a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) was picked up by Falmouth Coastguard late on Monday night. A faint mayday signal had been reported earlier on Monday evening, but produced no response when the British Coastguard attempted to return the call.
Malin Head Coast Radio Station in Donegal also picked up the signal, and worked throughout the night and yesterday with Clyde. The Spanish authorities confirmed that one German and 12 Spanish nationals and three Portuguese were on board the trawler, which had originally sailed from La Coruna in Spain.
A Canadian Aurora aircraft on exercise in the area was dispatched and was later joined by a Nimrod aircraft from RAF Kinloss. The British Coastguard helicopter based at Stornoway, Scotland, was scrambled, and picked up nine crew in a liferaft.
The Sikorsky from Shannon under Capt Dave Courtney continued to search the area with the RAF Nimrod and the British Navy helicopter, and spotted the tenth man in the water. His rescue was described by the Clyde Coastguard as a "miracle".
