Crew of missing vessel rescued off English coast

The English coastguard has rescued the crew of a sailing vessel that disappeared shortly after leaving Kenmare Harbour in Co Kerry nine days ago.

The Inis Mil, a 60-foot fishing trawler that had been converted into a sailing ketch, left Kenmare en route for the Scilly Isles shortly after lunchtime on Monday, September 6.

However, the five-person crew of English, German and French nationals failed to arrive at their destination, sparking a search involving rescuers from three countries.

The crew was located in a life raft off the English coast this morning and was airlifted to safety by the British Coastguard. The Inis Mor is believed to have sunk during bad weather.

No emergency signal had been reported by coastguards until this morning when one of the survivors used a mobile phone once they got near enough to land to get a reception, a spokesman said.

Falmouth coastguard watch manager Martin Bidmead said: “Considering the weather conditions over the past week we consider these survivors to be very lucky. No distress alert was received from the vessel prior to the mobile telephone call.”

The emergency call was made at 9.18am. The life-raft was located off Trevose Head by a helicopter and the crew were taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said a search for the Inis Mil had been underway for five days after it failed to arrive at its destination.

Irish, British, French and Channel Island search and rescue authorities had been involved, he said.

A spokeswoman for the RNLI said lifeboats from Newquay and Padstow were launched and a Royal Navy helicopter was scrambled from nearby RNAS Culdrose.

The five men, who are thought to be suffering from hypothermia, were airlifted and taken to hospital.

“They seem to be suffering from hypothermia and they were very hungry but fortunately they are not too badly off,” the spokeswoman said.

“It’s been fairly blustery and stormy off the South West coast, so they are lucky to be alive.”