AN IRISH ferry rescued three English fishermen off the French coast when their vessel was involved in a collision and sank.
A search was continuing yesterday for a fourth crewman on board the fishing vessel, the British-registered Etoile des Ondes from Weymouth.
The Celtic Link Ferries vessel, Norman Voyager, was en route from Cherbourg to Rosslare, Co Wexford on Sunday evening when it sighted flares close to the French coast. It picked up the three fishermen, all from southern England, in a liferaft, and French rescue authorities then despatched a helicopter to airlift them to hospital in Cherbourg.
James O’Flaherty of Celtic Link Ferries said the three were very shocked but were lucky to be alive.
A British Coast Guard spokesman said the fishing vessel had reported that it had been struck in international waters by another vessel, which did not stop. A sea search continued for the fourth crewman until 4am yesterday, before it was suspended. Devon and Cornwall police are investigating the incident.
In a separate incident, the Irish Coast Guard’s Waterford helicopter was last night tasked to rescue a Spanish sailor with chest pains some 180 miles south of Castletownbere, Co Cork.
It was the third long-range rescue mission by the Irish Coast Guard air/sea rescue team within a week. Last week, an Irish Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon completed a long-distance search and rescue some 190 miles west of Shannon.