18 crew members from a Spanish fishing vessel were rescued from life rafts this afternoon shortly before their boat sank some 200 miles west of the Co Clare coast.
A spokesman for the Valencia Coastguard said the Royalist, a British-registered vessel, transmitted a distress call at 15.56pm saying it was taking in water and that its crew were abandoning the vessel.
The French trawler Damafram, which happened to be in the vicinity, went to their assistance and picked up all 18 crewmen from the life rafts at 16.54pm.
The Spanish trawler sank a short time later.
The spokesman said all the crew members were safe and well and were being taken on the Damaframto Dingle where they are due to arrive at 6pm tomorrow.