Seven lives were saved with the help of Inmarsat maritime services after the Irish trawler Discovery capsized 110 miles off the southern coast of Ireland.
The crew abandoned ship and took to life rafts after the 77-foot vessel got into difficulties at about 10.00 UTC on Monday, 29 January.
The skipper used an emergency position reporting (EPIRB) device to send a distress signal, which was picked up by the Falmouth coastguard.
Alert via Inmarsat
Falmouth coastguard's search and rescue communications manager, Steve Huxley, said all vessels in the area were immediately alerted via SafetyNet over Inmarsat C. The ultra-large crude tanker Front Commander was first to respond.
"Excellent communications were established with the tanker's Master over Inmarsat B as they approached the area of the life rafts and during the rescue operation," said Huxley.
"Within about 90 minutes it reached the trawler crew and rescued them from their life rafts. Our coastguard helicopter then lifted them off the tanker and took them ashore for medical attention.
"All seven were pretty shaken up after spending several hours in the water and in their life rafts."
Vital service
Two of the crew were suffering from mild hypothermia and were taken to Truro hospital in Cornwall.
No information was immediately available to explain why the trawler, which was en route to Rotterdam, got into difficulty.
Huxley said: "At that distance out to sea, Inmarsat is a vital means of alerting and communicating with vessels - we might not have been able to rescue the crew without it."
31
January 2007
