Seventeen crew members have been airlifted to safety after a fishing vessel ran aground on rocks close to the Old Man of Hoy in Orkney.
A major rescue operation was launched shortly after 6.30am on Thursday, October 1, after the 35-metre fishing vessel Genesis ran aground and issued a Mayday requesting the evacuation of those on board.The vessel is Spanish-owned but UK-flagged, according to reports from Orkney. Crew winched from vessel
Conditions at the scene meant evacuating the crew by boat was considered unsafe, with a westerly swell breaking over the stranded vessel.
A HM Coastguard helicopter from Stornoway subsequently winched all 17 people from the deck and flew them to Kirkwall Airport.
Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service were waiting when they arrived.
The ambulance service said three ambulances were sent to the airport and all 17 people were assessed before being discharged at the scene. No injuries were reported.
Major multi-agency rescue operation
Stromness RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Violet Dorothy and Kathleen was among the first rescue vessels sent to the scene.
Coastguard helicopters from Sumburgh and Stornoway were deployed alongside Coastguard Rescue Teams from Kirkwall and St Margaret’s Hope.
Two other local vessels responded, while a Royal Air Force maritime patrol aircraft was also involved.
The NorthLink passenger ferry Hamnavoe, which had recently left Stromness for Scrabster, was passing the area when the emergency unfolded.
Its crew launched the ferry’s fast rescue boat, which stood by the stricken fishing vessel alongside the RNLI lifeboat.
Fishing vessel remains on rocks
The Genesis remained hard aground following the rescue, with HM Coastguard’s emergency towing vessel dispatched to monitor the situation.
The Coastguard’s Counter Pollution team and other relevant authorities have also been informed.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson confirmed that the vessel had 17 people aboard when it ran aground and that it issued a Mayday asking for immediate assistance.
A tug was also due to assess whether the vessel could be refloated.
