Two coast guard helicopters respond to distress call

The coastguard dispatched two rescue helicopters to fly 100 miles south of Fastnet Rock to airlift a crew member from a large container ship on Friday morning.

Two helicopters - the Waterford- and Shannon-based aircraft - responded as is a standard safety procedure in case one crashes midflight.

A 54-year-old Filipino crew member was winched from the deck of the Panama registered Atlantic Cartier by the Waterford helicopter, which then transferred him for treatment to Cork University Hospital.

The Fastnet is 13 kilometres off the Co Cork coastline and is the southernmost part of Ireland.

Reportedly stable

While the man’s condition there is unknown, he was reported to be stable and conscious when rescued.

The coast guard received the distress call via the Falmouth station in the UK when the vessel was 450 miles from the Irish coast. It waited for it to approach a reachable distance after which it rescued the man just before 11.30am.