Eleven crew members of a British-registered survey ship were yesterday airlifted to safety in a major rescue operation off the south-west coast after the vessel was left crippled by an engine-room fire. The drama began at about 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday when the Toise Gryphon sent out a distress call some 140 miles off the west Cork coast and two Sea King helicopters were scrambled from Royal Navy Culdrose in Cornwall and RAF Chivnor in Devon.
Eleven of the 22 crew members on board were airlifted to RN Culdrose. The LE Aisling yesterday took the stricken vessel under tow until a rendezvous at 10.30 last night off the Cork coast with a tug which was bringing the vessel back to Falmouth.