A
trawler
sparked a major rescue effort in north east England after it collided with a pier and began to sink.

Tynemouth RNLI
lifeboat volunteer crew members attended this morning’s incident at the request of Humber Coastguard.

The Tynemouth
RNLI all weather and inshore lifeboats launched at 6.36am after the
Port of Tyne Vessel Traffic Services reported to them that the fishing
vessel Grenaa Star had suffered severe damage following a collision with the south Tyne pier.

The
18m, 46-tonne vessel had begun taking in water and was in need of
immediate help. The skipper had managed to get close to Little Haven
beach, South Shields, where it became grounded.

Upon arrival at the scene, lifeboat crew members took two salvage
pumps onto the sinking boat and began to pump her out. Sunderland Coastguard Rescue Team also attended,
keeping watch from shore.

The trawler’s skipper had suffered a
head injury and was taken off his vessel by a police boat and transferred to
the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle for treatment.

The two remaining crew members of the Grenaa Star shut down the fuel supply to prevent pollution.

At low tide it was
decided that the pumping was making no difference as the vessel was
completely settled on the river bed, and so badly damaged that she
would be unlikely to completely refloat on the high tide.

RNLI crew
members fastened the vessel’s anchor to the beach to prevent any
chance of her drifting from the beach, and transferred the fishermen by lifeboat to North Shields Fish Quay, arriving at 9.30am.

Adrian Don, spokesman for Tynemouth RNLI lifeboat station, said: ‘The Grenaa Star had
suffered major damage to her bow after colliding with the pier and was
quickly taking on water. Her skipper had sustained a cut to his head.

‘When the lifeboats arrived on scene the vessel was low in the water, drifting, and her keel was just touching the riverbed.

‘The
volunteer lifeboat crew pumped water out of the vessel for as long as
possible before the boat was completely grounded and then took the
remaining two fishermen to safety.

‘We don’t know what caused the collision at this time but thankfully there were no serious injuries.’

Picture credit:
RNLI/Adrian Don