Crew plucked to safety as trawler sinks off Yorkshire coast

The crew of a stricken trawler was plucked from its vessel yesterday by lifeboats and an RAF helicopter before the boat sank in the North Sea.

By The Newsroom

Published 15th Oct 2010, 23:53 BST

Updated 16th Oct 2010, 11:17 BST

The RNLI said two lifeboats from Whitby were sent to the aid of the Defiant which ran aground a mile north of Sandsend.

The Humber Coastguard received a distress call at 6.35am. Two men were taken off the boat by the lifeboat crews. Two more, including the skipper, were winched aboard an RAF Sea King as the vessel was buffeted by swell and took on water.

Lifeboat crew members boarded the trawler, a local boat, and managed to secure a tow line but this has to be cut as the Defiant rolled over and then sank within five minutes. Glenn Goodberry, Whitby RNLI mechanic, said: "Fortunately the four crew are all safe, which is always our priority.

"We did our very best to save the vessel as well but the damage was too great and we had to abandon the tow and watch the Defiant sink.

"We know the skipper must be devastated. It is not often that we are unable to save a vessel and it is always extremely sad when a boat goes down."