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Seventeen rescued after fishing boat runs aground off Orkney

Moment fishing boat crew is winched to safety off Orkney

A major rescue operation has taken place in Orkney after a fishing boat ran aground close to the Old Man Of Hoy.

The Genesis fishing boat struck rocks off the west coast of the island of Hoy and issued a mayday call at about 06:30.

The RNLI lifeboat from Stromness was involved in the rescue, along with coastguard helicopters from Sumburgh and Stornoway, and the Northlink passenger ferry Hamnavoe, which launched its fast-rescue boat.

All of the crew members were winched to safety by a Coastguard helicopter and taken to shore.

The fishing boat remains aground and the coastguard tug and counter pollution teams have been sent to the scene.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: "Just after 06:30 on 1 October, HM Coastguard received a report that a fishing vessel with 17 people on board had gone aground at the Old Man of Hoy, Orkney Islands and was in need of immediate assistance.

"The vessel also issued a Mayday asking for assistance to evacuate the people on board."

News imageFraser Retson A rescue helicopter hovers beside a fishing boat near towering red sandstone cliffs, while a lifeboat waits nearby on the sea.Fraser Retson
A helicopter rescued crew members from the boat

The Kirkwall and St Margaret's Hope Coastguard Rescue Teams also responded to the incident as did a maritime patrol aircraft from the Royal Air Force.

All 17 people were airlifted to safety by the helicopter from Stornoway and taken to Kirkwall.

Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service were also in attendance.

The HM Coastguard Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) has been dispatched and the HM Coastguard Counter Pollution team and other relevant authorities have been informed.

Mark Wrigley, from Leeds, who saw the rescue from onboard the ferry Hamnavoe said an announcement was made telling passengers the ferry was going to assist.

He told BBC Radio Orkney: "It was quite a distance but you could quite clearly see a boat on the rocks and there was a couple of boats in the water. The RNLI were there and then they were joined by a coastguard helicopter."

He said rescuers winched the fishermen into the helicopter two at a time very close to the Old Man of Hoy rocks.

"I was absolute in awe of the people who were doing the rescue," he added.