Emergency call issued after fishing vessel begins taking on water

A fishing vessel in the Faroe Islands sent out an emergency call late Wednesday night after it began taking on water, according to a report by Faroese public broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya.

The vessel Pressarin, owned by shipyard Mest, was sailing near Skerhólm in Sørvágsfjørður around 11:30 PM when it issued the distress signal. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received the call but was unable to establish contact with the crew, as both were occupied trying to keep the boat afloat.

Police were alerted and relayed the emergency to MRCC, which dispatched a helicopter from Atlantic Airways to the scene. The Sørvágs rescue team’s smaller vessel, Rescue Ivan, was also sent, while the larger Rescue Sverri was unavailable. A nearby fishing boat, Tvørfelli, owned by Luna, joined the rescue effort.

A rescue crew member was lowered onto Pressarin with two pumps to prevent the vessel from sinking. The boat was then towed to Sørvágur, where it was secured at the quay Thursday morning, according to the MRCC duty officer.