Helicopter aids stricken fishing vessel

An Irish coastguard helicopter was flying 230 miles into the Atlantic to the aid of a stricken fishing vessel today.

The aircraft, from southern Ireland, was to lower a salvage pump to the three-man crew of the 25 metre Irish fishing vessel Antonio .

The vessel’s crew contacted Falmouth Coastguard just before 4am today saying it was taking in water and had lost power to its pumps.

The Antonio was being monitored by an RAF Nimrod communications aircraft from Kinloss.