|
Five French fishermen airlifted to safety from their sinking vessel 30
miles south-east of Falmouth spent Sunday night recovering from their
ordeal at the Fishermen's Mission in Newlyn.
It was the second French vessel to founder off West Cornwall in as many
weeks. Yves Tassel, the skipper of the Dugesclin, and his crew stayed
the night in Newlyn after being landed at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
Disaster had struck at around 5.30pm, when their 23-metre trawler sprang
a leak, the pump was inoperative and they had just 15 minutes to abandon
her.
They were picked up from a life raft by a rescue helicopter from RNAS
Culdrose, whose crew had spotted a light.
Shaken but otherwise uninjured, the Frenchmen were taken to Newlyn. "They
stayed with us until Monday morning," said the mission's superintendent,
Keith Dickson. "They got off quite early as they were repatriated
from Plymouth and needed to catch the ferry.
"We were able to offer them meals, calls to home, laundry, hot showers
and warm beds."
"When they came in they didn't want to eat at first - they were
a little bit distressed with what had gone on. But they were hearty and
realised they were fortunate to be alive."
Sunday's rescue took place in good conditions - in marked contrast to
the tragic loss of the five crewmen of the Bugaled Breizh, a Breton trawler
which sank off The Lizard on January 15, having steamed from Newlyn just
hours earlier.
A French investigation was launched after underwater pictures appeared
to show that the trawler had suffered a violent impact before sinking.
Prosecutor Roland Eisch has ruled out the theory that the boat's trawl
had fouled on the sea bed, and an international search is now on to find
a "hit-and-run" vessel.
St Ives MP Andrew George has raised parliamentary questions with the
Ministry of Defence following claims that there was an international military
exercise going on in the area at the time.
"It is important that answers are provided," said Mr George.
"In my conversations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency it appears
that there are no records of shipping or other larger vessel movements
in that area during the early afternoon of Thursday, January 15.
"Even though the investigation is being led by French authorities,
it is important that the British Government co-operates fully. Fishermen
and their families from all nations will want reassurance at this time."
Fishing leaders have called for a Dutch submarine to be ordered back
to port so she can be eliminated from the investigation.
article copyright © THE CORNISHMAN
 |
