Six crewmen have been plucked to safety after they were forced to abandon a stricken fishing trawler in mountainous seas.

The men were onboard the Audacious 2 as it was being towed back to port by the Norwegian fishing vessel Aarsheim Senior after losing power in the North Atlantic on Saturday.

The skipper decided to abandon ship late on Sunday night when the vessel began taking on water and started to list in Gale Force 8 winds and a six-metre swell.

The seafarers, wearing survival suits, took to the vessel's life rafts while coastguards scrambled a RAF Nimrod aircraft and long-range helicopters.

The disabled trawler was being towed to Barra Head in the Western Isles, more than 200 miles from where its rescue began.

High seas and gales had made progress difficult since the towline to the Aarsheim Senior, was fixed Sunday afternoon.

Earlier efforts by an Irish trawler to tow the Audacious 2 failed when the lines snapped on two occasions.

Late on Sunday night, the crew abandoned ship and fired distress flares.

The Aarsheim Senior released the tow and turned back to rescue the crewmen from the life rafts.

Clyde Coastguard district controller John Griffiths said: "The Aarsheim Senior crew showed a tremendous standard of seamanship.

"They faced mountainous seas and hazardous conditions and saved six people's lives. We are delighted the crew are rescued and are on their way to safety."

The rescue aircraft were stood down while the Aarsheim Senior began its return journey to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, at least a day's sailing away.

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