A Spanish vessel adrift in the Irish Sea, the 208 tonne fishing boat ‘Ereka’, may have her non-essential crew airlifted off by a Royal Navy helicopter. Belfast Coastguard received a distress call just after 14h00 yesterday. The vessel lost all power and was unable to anchor and was drifting fast towards land in south easterly winds. The Donagadee lifeboat was launched and managed to contain the situation after getting a tow aboard.

Language has proved to be a problem as none of the 17 crew aboard can speak English. Belfast Coastguard have airlifted a Spanish speaking Portaferry University student onto the vessel to assist. The vessel is now in calmer water but District Controller Brett Cunningham says: “We are not home and dry until this vessel is safely alongside in Belfast Lough.”