Four Men Recovered From Liferaft After Vessel Sinks

Just before 6.00 pm this evening Milford Haven Coastguard received an emergency 999 call from a mobile phone alerting them to four men in a liferaft off Linney Head, Pembrokeshire. The men had been in the fishing vessel Kerloch J235 which was on passage from Lundy to Milford Haven when it hit Crow Rock off Linney Head.

 

Around the same time a red flare was sighted about 1.5 nautical miles off the headland and reported to the Coastguard from the fishing vessel `Dolly Ann. This vessel then began to proceed to the site of the flare.

 

The Angle all weather RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch and a mayday signal was rebroadcast into the area by the Coastguard to alert other vessels to the unfolding incident.

 

By just after 6.00 pm the vessel Dolly Ann had retrieved all four from the liferaft and began heading for Milford.

 

A short while later it met up with the lifeboat and transferred the four men who were reported to be shaken, but not suffering from hypothermia. However, an ambulance was called as a precaution to the landing jetty. The Dale Coastguard Rescue Team were also turned out to meet the four crew upon their arrival at Milford.

 

The owner of the vessel from Haverfordwest also attended the Coastguard Station at Milford Haven.

 

The Agencys Counter Pollution team was also informed as the vessel was carrying 2500 litres of fuel oil and 40 gallons of hydraulic oil in sound tanks when she sank. There were two liferafts on board when she sank plus 6 lifejackets.

 

Graham Warlow, Duty Watch Manager at Milford Haven said

 

We have informed the Marine Accident Investigation Branch of this incident and the UK Hydrographic Office will also be aware. Fortunately the weather was fairly benign today and the site of the sinking is not too far off the coast. We would also like to thank the crew of the Dolly Ann who responded promptly when they sighted the red flare, and also to the crews of the other vessels who responded so quickly.

 

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office: 023 8032 9401