The Aran Island lifeboat was called out in a force nine gale last night to guide into Galway the Spanish fishing vessel which has been in trouble off the west coast with nine crew on board for the past two days.
The skipper of the Vierasa Diez had refused assistance from the Irish Marine Emergency Service's Sikorsky rescue helicopter in storm force 10 conditions on Wednesday night.
Instead, he requested a tow from another vessel in the area.
Weather conditions proved too difficult for towing yesterday, but the crew was partly successful in its efforts to restore power.
With "70 per cent" capability, the 30-metre craft headed for the Galway coast. Yesterday evening IMES dispatched the Shannon-based Sikorsky again to check on the vessel and it was located 10 miles west of the Aran islands. Valentia Coast Radio, which has Spanish speakers, advised the skipper to accept assistance from the Aran island lifeboat. The full range of marine rescue services was put at the skipper's disposal over the past two days, and the episode illustrates the lengths to which Spanish fishing skippers and crew will go to make a living.
The alert was first raised shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, when distress signals from the Vierasa Diez were picked up by transatlantic aircraft.
The signals were relayed to Valentia Coast Radio by air traffic control.
