Aberdeen Coastguard News

A 24-meter fuelling vessel, Erin Wood, was towed to Peterhead Saturday after a collision with a Cyprus registered cargo vessel, Daroja, the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) reported. At 5:10 p.m. Aberdeen Coastguard received a Mayday call from the Erin Wood with two crew on board, which had taken on water following a collision approximately two miles off Peterhead with a cargo vessel. No injuries to crew were reported. Aberdeen Coastguard requested the launch of Peterhead All Weather Lifeboat and other vessels offered assistance. The Erin Wood was taken under tow by a fishing vessel into Peterhead and the cargo vessel has also gone to Peterhead. The MCA will be attending both vessels and an investigation is underway.

In the Philippines a large scale rescue of ferry passengers, on the other side of the world, a British fishing boat crew is airlifted to safety, and a man is plucked from rough seas off Aberdeen breakwater. A rescue team from Philippine Coast Guard search and rescue vessel, BRP EDSA II (SARV-002) evacuated 132 passengers from the MV Our Lady Of All Nation after the inter-island ferry ran aground at Danajon Bank, Bohol. The crew of the sinking 18-m fishing vessel RACHEL JAYNE lll  sent out a Mayday as they took to a liferaft 26 miles ENE of Tynemouth Piers.

Two ships ran aground Tuesday off the west coast of Scotland, according to Herald Scotland. The first vessel, the 87-meter passenger cruise vessel Serenissima, was lodged on sand and gravel at a spot known as the Corran Ledge in Oban Bay Tuesday night as it made its way from Ireland to the port of Oban, Herald Scotland reported. Aboard the ship were 61 passengers and 51 crew members. With help from the ship’s crew and the Oban RNLI lifeboat team, Serenissima was refloated and inspected without any damage or pollution.

Aberdeen Coastguard are currently monitoring developments on the Gryphon A, operated by Maersk, a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) which is being buffeted by very heavy weather in the North Sea. The platform is based 175 miles north east of Aberdeen. Winds are currently 53 knots from the north west and the platform was recording a 12 degree roll earlier this morning. Nine metre seas are also being recorded. The unit is a floating vessel used by the offshore industry for the processing and storage of oil and gas. There are 114 people on board the vessel who have been mustered to their emergency positions. Two minor injuries have been recorded. Several anchor mooring positions have given way in the extreme weather conditions and production has been shut down.

Grampian Police reported to Aberdeen Coastguard that three youths were shouting for help after leaving Cove Harbour, 2 miles south of Aberdeen, in a rowing boat. Aberdeen Inshore and all weather RNLI lifeboats were requested to launch. of the youths on the boat had made it to shore and had raised the alarm. taken back to Aberdeen by lifeboat. All youths were wet but un-harmed. more than oars. The Incident was closed by 1:00 a.m. this morning. "This was potentially a very serious incident. all were taken at all. the youths had fallen in. says David Robertson of Aberdeen Coastguard.

Just before 2:20 a.m. this morning, the 75.4 ft. (23 m) Peterhead registered fishing vessel Devotion collided with her sister vessel 'Fruitful Bough' 150 miles east of Aberdeen in the U.K. Aberdeen Coastguard was alerted and sent a rescue helicopter from Norway to reach the damaged 'Devotion' with pumping equipment, however the four crewmen on board were quickly transferred to 'Fruitful Bough' just before 'Devotion' sank. None of the crewmen on board either vessel were injured. The fishermen on board 'Fruitful Bough' are recovering equipment that has floated free from the sunken vessel and will return to Peterhead.

At approximately 10 p.m. on Monday, December 23, the Aberdeen Coastguard were alerted by the oil platform Marnock of a Mayday broadcast from the motor tanker Bertora. The 55,756-grt vessel, which measures 230 m, was located approximately 130 miles east of Peterhead when its engines failed. The vessel's master broadcast a distress call on the distress frequency, which was ultimately received by the rig standby vessel Viking Protector, which then relayed the call to the oil platform - contacting the Aberdeen Coastguard. Upon examination, it was deemed that the cause of the engine failure was the result of a safety pin in the oil fuel line that had failed and cut off all fuel to the engine.