Fishermen saved by EPIRB
A McMurdo EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) has saved the lives of five fishermen, who were rescued when they activated the beacon after a fire broke out on their vessel
The fishermen from ‘Onward’, a fishing vessel registered in Buckie, were 50 miles northwest of the Orkney town of Stromness when the fire forced them to evacuate to liferafts. The Shetland Coastguard received the alert at 1328 on Wednesday 11 April from the UK-registered McMurdo beacon and broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area.
A maritime surveillance aircraft was also tasked to attend the scene and report back, after which a Coastguard rescue helicopter at Sumburgh was sent. On arrival, the five fishermen were winched to safety and all were taken to Kirkwall Hospital suffering from hypothermia.
Ross Wilkinson, Global Sales Director of Orolia (the company that owns McMurdo), said: “The rescue of these five fishermen highlights just how important it is to carry a distress beacon. Thanks to this beacon being correctly registered, the emergency services were able to quickly establish which vessel had issued the distress alert and effectively activate a rescue operation.”
McMurdo offers a range of emergency location beacon products, including EPIRBs, PLBs (Personal Location Beacons), SARTs, AIS Beacons, NAVTEX and VHF Radios. For further information on McMurdo’s range of safety and emergency location beacon products, visit Mcmurdo Marine.
For advice on choosing a fishing boat, read guide to fishing boats.
