THE NAVAL Service yesterday dispatched the LE Aoifeto monitor a badly damaged trawler caught in stormy seas some 320km off the Irish coast after all 17 crew were safely evacuated to a sister ship fishing nearby.
The Irish Coast Guard received a report that the German registered Ortegal Unohad been swamped by a huge wave more than 300km due west of Shannon at about 9am yesterday and that she was listing to port. The skipper of the trawler decided to abandon ship and all 17 members of the Spanish crew were successfully evacuated to a sister ship, Ortegal 3, which had come to the stricken trawler's assistance.
According to Declan Geoghegan of the Coast Guard, they continued to monitor the rescue operation which was carried out successfully in rough seas and Force 7-8 winds and the Ortegal 3is now bound for its home port of La Coruña in northern Spain.
Meanwhile Lt Commander Terry Ward of the Naval Service confirmed that the LE Aoifewas last night proceeding to the scene to monitor the Ortegal Unowhich was continuing to list heavily to port and expected to sink despite an improvement in the weather.
"The vessel is now adrift with no power or propulsion. LE Aoifeis due on the scene tomorrow morning when the captain will make an assessment of the fishing vessel's condition if it is still afloat," said Lt Commander Ward yesterday.
Meanwhile a sea search for seven containers washed overboard a 9,000-tonnes coaster off the Waterford coast was stood down yesterday after debris was spotted by a Coast Guard helicopter less than 8km from where the containers went overboard.
According to Mr Geoghegan, the crew of the Coast Guard Sikorksy based at Waterford spotted a large number of bags floating on the surface of the sea some 4.7 miles northwest of where the containers were lost from the BG Dublin when passing some 24km off Tramore. Mr Geoghegan explained that Coast Guard shore units from Bunmahon, Helvick, Tramore and Ardmore were dispatched to search the coastline for any debris washed up from the containers lost from the coaster in stormy seas at about 2pm on Tuesday.
One of the containers was carrying hazardous sodium bromate, giving rise to concerns that it might lead to a major pollution incident but officials are now satisfied this is unlikely given its solubility in water.