Crew airlifted from fishing boat Ben My Chree off Land's End.

Gill-netter Ben My Chree leaving Newlyn.

The last recorded AIS position of the Ben My Chree off Land's End before power was lost.

At 00.27 am Falmouth Coastguard received a Mayday distress call from the fishing vessel Ben My Chree with five crew onboard. Their distress call reported that they were taking water and sinking 17 nautical miles East North East of the Isles of Scilly. Falmouth Coastguard immediately broadcast a Mayday relay, and requested the scramble of Rescue Helicopter R193 and St Marys All Weather Lifeboat. Another Newlyn registered fishing vessel CKS responded to the broadcast and proceeded from 7nm away at best speed. The wind was a force 5 from the west south west with a moderate to rough sea.

Once on scene R193 attempted to lower the Coastguard pump down onto the vessel but this proved impossible due to the weather conditions. The water level in the vessel was still rising and the crew were getting very concerned, so R193 winched four, including skipper Steve Hicks off the vessel. Crewman Jamie Vickar was the last to leave and even though he had knocked the engine out of gear when he left the wheel house the vessel continued to proceed in a very erratic manner due to the mizzen sail being set. This meant that R193 could not winch him off so he was taken off onto the St Marys Lifeboat and from there winched to R193. All five crew were then transferred to Culdrose where they were met by a few members of the Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team who transported them back to their homes in Newlyn.

The CKS was released to continue and the St Marys lifeboat stood alongside the Ben My Chree until first light. As the night progressed the Ben My Chree sank lower in the water, the engine stopped, its AIS ceased to transmit and its navigation lights went out. As the vessel was drifting across the Lands End Traffic Separation scheme Falmouth Coastguard made a Security Broadcast to all vessels in the area to be aware and to keep a sharp lookout and a wide berth.

The area between Land's End and the Scillys has a very busy traffic separation scheme in place, at the moment there is a concentration of French trawlers working just to the south of the incident.

Marc Thomas, Watch Manager, Falmouth Coastguard said:

"The crew of the Ben My Chree were calm and professional in a very uncertain situation and the skipper passed all the necessary information to ensure a swift rescue. The crew of R193 tried repeatedly to lower the Coastguard pump onboard but were unable to do so, but they managed to recover four of the crew off the fishing vessel in challenging conditions."

Courtesy of Fred Caygill at the MCA.