Two crew members, seriously injured on board a Dutch super-trawler overnight, have been airlifted to hospital by an Irish Coast Guard helicopter.
The “Zeeland”, a 114 metre, 6,000 tonne fish factory, had been operating about 170 nautical miles west of Loop Head in Co Clare when the ship’s captain raised the alarm late last night.
The circumstances of the incident which led to this rescue mission are unclear, but they are said to have sustained serious injuries.
When the alarm was raised, weather conditions in the area prevented the Irish Coast Guard from dispatching a helicopter to meet the vessel.
Instead, the ship’s captain set course for the Irish coast to allow it meet the helicopter when conditions improved.
At around 7.00am, as the trawler was just approaching the mouth of the Shannon Estuary, the crew of the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter were ready to take off and meet the vessel.
Both casualties were assessed and treated before being placed in stretchers and winched on board the helicopter.
Rescue 115 spent almost 90 minutes hovering on scene before both were taken on board ,and the crew departed shortly after 9.00am to University Hospital Limerick.
The operation was mounted and managed by watch Irish Coast Guard officers on Valentia Island.
