The four-man crew of fishing vessel that caught fire off the Cork coast today have been rescued.
The fishermen were forced to abandon their boat and take to a life raft after a fire swept through the vessel several kilometres from shore.
A passing trawler picked up the group after a distress mayday call had been sent out.
The alarm was raised at 8.25am after the fire broke out when the craft was 19 kilometres off the Seven Heads headland. A spokesman for Valentia Coastguard said the men were rescued at around 10am about 20 kilometres west of Kinsale.
The crew will remain near the burning vessel for a period before returning to shore, he said.
The spokesman added that the boat had been destroyed by the blaze and that it was likely to sink.
The coastguard ship L E Ciarais at the scene to establish if the sinking vessel will pose an environmental hazard.
