European Seafarer to the Rescue

1/9/03: European Seafarer to the Rescue

Two lives were undoubtedly saved by the crew of the European Seafarer on the 1st of September 2003. The European Seafarer was on a routine crossing from Fleetwood to Larne just north of the Isle of Man when the second officer on watch miraculously spotted two men clinging to their upturned boat.

The men had been in the water for 24 hours and were reported missing the night before. European Seafarer quickly radioed in her position and the rescue helicopter that was out looking for the men was quickly on the scene to lift them to safety.

Two views of the rescue operation taken by Captain Gerry Hughes of the European Seafarer. Top: A lifeboat looks on at the men on their upturned boat. Bottom: The rescue helicopter prepares to lift the men from the water.

Full text of the story as it appeared in the Daily Record is pasted below

Fishermen cling on to upturned boat for 24 hours then ferry sparks air rescue LIGHTNING MIRACLE

By Keith Mcleod

TWO fishermen survived 24 hours at sea clinging to the hull of their capsized boat.

The pair were winched to safety by a rescue helicopter yesterday after spending a night adrift in the Irish Sea.

The friends owe their lives to a passing ferry crew, who spotted them and raised the alarm.

The men, from Fife, had spent at least 20 hours surviving on the hull of the stricken 18ft white dory boat Hell Raiser.

The two pals, aged 48 and 33, were then rescued by a Dublin-based Irish Coastguard helicopter which had been assisting in a massive air-and-sea search operation.

The hunt was sparked when the pair failed to return home from the fishing trip early yesterday. Family members then raised the alarm.

Their car and trailer remained parked at Isle of Whithorn where they had set out on Sunday morning.

The men were last seen on Sunday afternoon fishing off the Isle of Whithorn and all was normal.

The dramatic rescue came at around 4.15pm yesterday, 10 miles north-west of the Point of Ayre, Isle of Man. That means the upturned boat had drifted at least 10 miles south-west of its last known position.

Last night, the two fishermen were recovering at Nobles Hospital in Douglas, Isle of Man.

Both were suffering from hypothermia.

Coastguards based in Liverpool co-ordinated the huge search, which was launched shortly after 11am yesterday.

The operation involved two Coastguard units, two lifeboats, an inshore rescue vessel and two helicopters, one from the RAF, the other from the Irish Coastguard.

Last night, a Coastguard spokesman said: ``The men are lucky to be alive.

``It was a very successful operation to have found them and rescued them.

``At the moment, we cannot speculate about how this vessel got into difficulties.

``We also have no word on exactly how long the men had to survive in these conditions.

``Clearly, spending the night like this would have been a very stressful time for them, both physically and mentally.'' The ferry - P&O's European Seafarer - was travelling between Fleetwood, Lancashire, and Larne in northern Ireland.

Captain Gerry Hughes last night described the rescue of the two men as ``a miracle''.

He said: ``They were not exactly on our route but my second officer was very observant. He told me he had spotted something in the sea.''

The captain said he looked through his binoculars and could see the small object.

He put the engines on standby while he investigated and informed Liverpool Coastguard.

He said: ``When we came closer I could see it was an upturned boat.

``From what I could see, the men clinging to it were conscious.

``I mustered our fastrescue boat but it wasn't needed, as the Coastguard said a helicopter was on its way.

``I shouted to the men through a loud hailer to tell them. They shouted back but I couldn't hear what they were saying. They were waving their arms up and down.''

The captain said there was a one-metre swell at the time.

One source close to the rescue operation said that ``something calamitous'' must have happened suddenly to the boat.

The source added: ``The boat was very well equipped and these two men were obviously well experienced.

``This boat carried radio equipment, life-jackets, survival suits and even a spare engine.

``There were also flares on board. Something must have happened very quickly to put the boat in that position and prevent the men from using any emergency gear.

``Generally speaking, boats like this are rarely as well provisioned for an emergency as this one was. The men are obviously experienced.''

The capsized boat was later righted and towed into Peel harbour, Isle of Man.

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Also on the Scotsman here

Fishermen rescued after night in sea

FRANK RYAN

TWO fishermen who spent the night clinging to the hull of their upturned boat were described as "very, very lucky" last night after being spotted drifting in the Irish Sea.

The pair, from Fife, were seen by the crew of a P&O passenger ferry 13 miles off the Isle of Man.

The Irish Coastguard helicopter Rescue 166 winched the two men to safety before taking them to Nobles Hospital, in the island’s capital, Douglas.

Their capsized boat, Hell Raiser, was righted and towed to Peel harbour, also on the Isle of Man.

A coastguard official said: "The pair are suffering from hypothermia, but they are very, very lucky to be alive."

The two men, aged 48 and 33, were seen by the P&O ferry European Seafarer, en route from Fleetwood, Lancashire to Larne, Northern Ireland at about 4pm yesterday.

The vessel’s captain, Gerry Hughes, described the rescue as a miracle.

He told Border Television: "They were not exactly on our route ... but my second officer was very observant. He told me he had spotted something in the sea. When we came closer I could see it was an upturned boat and from what I could see the men clinging to it were conscious."

A search had begun at 11:15am yesterday when Liverpool Coastguard received a call from Fife Police.

They had been contacted by worried relatives when the two men failed to return home at midnight on Sunday.

They had last been seen in Whithorn, south-west Scotland, on Sunday afternoon and their vehicle and trailer remained in the area.

Updated: 14/02/05