Fisherman survives 12 hours in sea

EDINBURGH, Scotland (CNN) -- A fisherman is recovering after what has been described as an "amazing" rescue from the icy waters of the Atlantic off Britain's Western Isles.

The man was one of ten from a German trawler who survived after it sank in high seas, with six people dying in the tragedy.

A German skipper, 12 Spanish and three Portuguese crewmen were on board the Hansa when it went down shortly before midnight on Monday, around 240 miles off the west coast of Scotland.

A major rescue operation was launched, involving British, Irish and Canadian aircraft and ships from the UK and Norway. Nine of the trawler crew managed to make it to a life raft and were winched to safety in the early hours of Tuesday.

But it was the survival of the tenth -- found alive after more than 12 hours in the freezing water -- that will make the annals of search and rescue operations, according to RAF spokesman Michael Mulford.

An RAF Nimrod was able to drop down a dinghy and the fisherman summoned the strength to clamber on board.

'Every second counts'

"It was quite exceptional. You really have to want to live to last much beyond six or seven hours in those circumstances," Mulford told CNN.

"This man was probably near the end of his ability to carry on when the Nimrod flew overhead -- at 200 miles an hour -- and had to decide precisely when to drop the dinghy so that it landed at the end of his arms.

"The crew who carried out this operation will be ecstatic to have pulled it off."

Alan Frendo-Cumbo, was co-ordinating the rescue operation from RAF Kinloss, in Scotland. He told CNN it is something the team trains for on a regular basis but so much can go wrong.

"At the sort of speeds that Nimrods travel, every second counts. The crew had to contend with very strong winds and waves up to 15 feet high and had to make sure the dinghy landed right in front of the man.

"It's not feasible to expect someone who has been in the water for 12 hours or more to have the strength to swim to a dinghy.

"The Nimrod circled overhead and saw the man climb in. It was a great feeling, amazing -- as good as it gets."

Rescuers alerted a fishing boat which then picked up the man. He was later airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Benbecula, in the Western Isles, which only opened on Tuesday.

He is being kept under observation and is described as "comfortable".

His nine colleagues have been treated for mild hypothermia at an army medical centre in the town.

The identities of the survivors, and those who died, are not being revealed until relatives have been informed.

Officials said it is not clear why the 30-metre (98-foot) trawler -- which set sail from the Spanish port of La Coruna -- sank.

Bodies found after trawler sinks
March 6, 2001
Search for missing trawler crew
March 6, 2001

RAF Kinloss
Maritime and Coastguard Agency

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