Boat Insurance News: Fishing boat narrowly escapes destruction
Posted on February 10th 2010
Four fishermen from Troon, Scotland have narrowly escaped death after a 3,000-tonne boat collided with their 36-tonne fishing vessel. The incident occurred just off the coast of Arran where the MV Leeswig hit the port side of the helpless vessel. To make matters worse for the crew, the cargo vessel that had just narrowly escaped sinking the fishing boat just sailed on as though nothing had happened.
Donald Gibson, one of the four crew members said: We should be dead - that cargo ship would have annihilated us. I put the deck lights on and flashed the spotlight, but it was still coming. I grabbed the wheel, turned it hard starboard and put the boat in full throttle. But then there was this almighty crash and the ship hit our port side where the trawling gear is. Luckily that's the strongest part of the boat, but the whole area was annihilated."
An investigation is being launched into what caused this incident and why the skipper of the cargo ship did not stop after the impact. Authorities are set to question the captain upon his arrival in Spain.
The Spes Bona V fishing boat was safely escorted back to Troon harbour by coastguards. The damages of the boat are said to be in the thousands leaving the owners of the boat unjustly out of pocket.
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