Fourteen fishermen are recovering after being airlifted to safety by the Irish Coast Guard after their fishing boat went ashore on rocks in storm conditions near Dingle, Co Kerry on Sunday morning.
After landing its catch, the French registered FV Fastnet lost power as she was leaving Dingle Harbour and began drifting on to the rocks at Bínn Bán near the mouth of the harbour.
The captain of the Spanish-owned boat radioed for assistance and a rescue operation was launched by the Irish Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre on Valentia Island involving several units of the emergency services.
The RNLI Valentia All Weather Lifeboat John and Margaret Doig was launched at 11.30am from Knightstown. The Dingle Coast Guard Unit was also mobilised but the lifeboat was unable to get a tow aboard the fishing boat due to a combination of rough seas and shallow water.
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The co-ordination centre also tasked the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 to assist, while the Coast Guard’s fixed wing airplane R 120F and the Naval Service ship LE George Bernard Shaw were also on scene.
The crew of R115 began winching the 14 crew to safety at 12.23pm and by 1.08pm, all crew of the fishing boat were safely aboard the helicopter and brought ashore at Dingle.
All were medically examined and no injuries were reported.
According to marine sources, it appears that the FV Fastnet’s hull had been breached as there were traces of diesel on the surface of the water. There are now concerns it will break up on the rocks at Bínn Bán.
The MV Fastnet, which was built in 2000, is registered in Lorient in Brittany, France, but fishes out of A Coruña in Galicia, Spain.
Marine biologist and maritime expert, Dingle local Kevin Flannery witnessed the rescue operation, and he paid tribute to the crew of Irish Coast Guard Rescue 115, whom he said, did sterling work to save all 14 crew of the MV Fastnet.
It is understood it was a challenging operation in strong winds and rough sees, with poor visibility.
“All ended well with everyone safe and sound because they were in real danger where they went in, just at the entrance to the Dingle Harbour – it’s a narrow entrance and when you lose power, particularly when there’s a good swell as there was today, you’re in deep trouble," he said.
“Where she ended up at Bínn Bán, it was virtually impossible for the Valentia Lifeboat to get into her but thank God, the Government invested in the new helicopters and Rescue 115 was able to get the crew off her in very difficult conditions.
“It’s a pretty dirty day here with bad fog so visibility was very poor, so I don’t know how they (the helicopter crew) made it down and there was a good throw in the sea too, but they got everyone off – I’m afraid it’s in there that the boat will stay but vessels can be replaced, people can’t.”
