Search for missing trawler crew

LONDON, England -- A rescue operation is under way for seven crew members missing after a German trawler sank off Scotland's west coast.

Nine other crew were airlifted to safety in a major sea-and-air rescue operation, including British and Canadian aircraft and several ships in the area, a Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said on Tuesday.

One German and 15 Spaniards were on board the German-registered Hansa when it went down in freezing waters off the Western Isles and coastguards said there was little chance of finding anyone else alive.

The rescue operation went into action after the 30-metre (98-foot) trawler, which had set sail from the Spanish port of La Coruna, got into difficulties then went down approximately 240 miles west of Tiree.

An urgent distress signal was picked up by the coastguards at 11.10 p.m. local time (2310 GMT) on Monday night.

A Canadian Aurora aircraft, which was on exercise in the area at the time, was sent to the scene and was joined by a Nimrod aircraft from RAF Kinloss.

Four vessels -- one British and three Norwegian -- are at the scene helping in the search for signs of survivors.

Coastguard spokesman Mark Clark said: "Nine people were airlifted out of the water and seven are still missing.

"The nine who were recovered were all in a life-raft, and were all suffering from hypothermia. Some were wearing survival suits and some were not."

The rescued men were taken by coastguard helicopter to hospital at Benbecula in the Western Isles.

"They had been in the water for at least four hours and it is looking quite grim for the seven still missing," Clark said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

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