Banff fishing boat assisted by Coastguard and lifeboats after taking on water
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A Banff registered fishing vessel sent a mayday message this morning after it started taking in water through its fish hold.
Tranquillity broadcasted the alert at 5am while it was off Shetland and the Coastguard, two lifeboat crews and two fishing vessels responded.
The helicopter got a water pump onto the vessel and it is now being escorted to Lerwick under its own power.
A Coastguard spokesman said: "The Coastguard helicopter, two fishing vessels and the RNLI Aith lifeboat and RNLI Lerwick lifeboat have been assisting a fishing vessel which broadcast a mayday message at 5.00 this morning, reporting that it was taking water through its fish hold.
"The helicopter put its pump on board the fishing vessel and the Aith lifeboat is now escorting the vessel towards Lerwick.
"The Lerwick Lifeboat will take over the escort when the vessel gets closer to shore."
The fishing vessel was 37 nautical miles north of Unst and had five people on board when it broadcast its mayday message.
