Crew rescued as boat hits rocks

The crew abandoned the vessel after it struck rocks

A crew has been winched to safety by helicopter after a boat hit rocks off the coast of Anglesey.

All six crew were safe after abandoning the 105-tonne Smit Cymyran off Skerries Rocks, said Holyhead Coastguard.

Initially, the crew were lifted off the survey and training vessel onto rocks before being airlifted to a coastguard station.

By early afternoon the vessel was still being brought to shore at Borthwen beach near Holyhead.

During the rescue a lifeboat was close by to monitor for pollution as the area is important for seabirds and there is a seal colony.

Despite filling up rapidly with water, the 90ft vessel was refloated on the rising tide.

It is believed only one compartment was breached, and salvage pumps were airlifted from RAF Valley to try to pump out the water.

Jim Paton, area watch manager for Holyhead Coastguard, said they received an emergency call from the Smit Cymyran around 1050 BST.

Flooding rapidly

The incident happened seven miles east of Skerries Lighthouse and two miles from Carmel Head.

The crew said they were abandoning her after she had struck the rocks.

An all-weather lifeboat and a rescue helicopter from RAF Valley on Anglesey, were immediately sent to the Skerries, about two miles off Carmel Head and the scene of many shipwrecks in the past.

The boat is belived to have struck the East Platters, east of the Skerries.

Mr Paton said the crew had been in "extreme danger" .

"The Skerries is a notorious area for shipwrecks and they were very fortunate."

"The vessel was flooding rapidly and had developed a list of 30 degrees and was taking on a lot of water," he said.

Mr Paton said they believed the oil tanks on the vessel had not been damaged, but a pollution team from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency was monitoring the situation.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has also been asked to investigate.

The Smit Cymyran is on contract to the Ministry of Defence, assisting RAF Valley helicopters in their search and rescue operations off the coast.

The boat was being used to collect RAF personnel who were taking part in a routine training exercise in which they are dropped into the sea from a Sea King helicopter.