Aberdeen Coastguard watch over safe return of vessel – Fishupdate.com

ABERDEEN Coastguard is co-ordinating the safe return of the fishing vessel Ulysses, which was taking in water and losing power this morning off the far North West coast of Scotland.

A Coastguard Rescue helicopter airlifted coastguard pumps on board, which have kept the vessel afloat.

At 6.30am, Aberdeen Coastguard was contacted by the skipper of the

vessel, the Ulysses reporting they were suffering a serious

ingress of water, were losing power and their pumps could not keep

up.

Aberdeen Coastguard immediately sent the Coastguard Rescue

helicopter Mike Uniform from Stornoway to the scene with pumping

equipment and Thurso RNLI all weather lifeboat.

Another fishing vessel in the area went to assist the Ulysses, which was in difficulty seven miles off the mouth of Loch Eriboll. The crew of the fishing vessel prepared for the worst and made ready their emergency equipment; life raft, EPIRB and were wearing life jackets.

The Durness Coastguard Rescue Team were keeping a watch on the incident from the shoreline and reporting in to Aberdeen Coastguard.

The winchman from the Coastguard Rescue helicopter went down onto the

deck of Ulysses with the Coastguard pumps which are now working to

keep the vessel afloat and the helicopter has returned to Stornoway.

Thurso RNLI all weather lifeboat is escorting Ulysses along the coast

this morning to make repairs at Scrabster.

Ulysses is a 20m fishing vessel registered in Banff, with four crew

and was returning from fishing grounds when she got into difficulty.

The weather conditions are wind force 6 with a moderate sea.

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