Rescue swings into action as boat lets in water

FOUR fishermen were airlifted to safety this week when their vessel started taking in water.

Search and rescue helicopter Oscar Charlie was scrambled to help the 78ft Banff-registered Discovery early on Wednesday morning.

It dropped two pumps down on to the vessel before airlifting the men.

Two other members of crew, skipper David Addison and Gary Dunbar, remained on board while the vessel was escorted to Scalloway Harbour by the Aith Lifeboat.

A spokeswoman for the boat’s agents, Buckie-based United Fish Selling, said: “We’re still trying to find out what went wrong. David called this morning from the boat to say everyone was okay. We’ll get a better idea of what happened once he’s back.

“The boat had only been at sea for a few days. David had landed at Scalloway at the weekend and had gone back out. As far as we know they noticed the water coming into the fish room and called Shetland Coastguard. The main thing is that the boat is safe and no one was hurt.”

A spokesman for Shetland Coastguard said: “We were able to get pumps on to the deck of the boat. Using these, along with the boat’s own pumps, the skipper and another crew member were able to stabilise the situation.”