One dead after trawler with Scarborough skipper capsizes off Norway

The Norwegian Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre launched a rescue operation after the alarm was raised at about 1.39pm on Sunday.

Rescuers found the eight crew standing on the keel of the capsized vessel Njord which got into difficulty about 100 miles west of Stavanger in the North Sea.

Three people were winched into a helicopter and were flown to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen where one of them, a Scottish crew member, subsequently died.

The other five were picked up by the Olympic Challenger, an oil industry offshore vessel, which had responded to the Mayday relay issued by rescue services calling on vessels nearby to assist.

They were later taken to Stavanger by rescue helicopter.

Barrie Deas of the York-based National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations, said he believed the crew had been an hour in the water before being rescued.

Skipper owner Danny Normandale is from Scarborough, where the vessel was recently berthed.

Mr Deas said the incident would trigger an investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)

He said: “It is a tragedy and a crewman has sadly lost his life.

“This no doubt will generate speculation but it is the report by the MAIB that will count. Its purpose is to determine the cause and learn any lessons.”

The NJRCC said the vessel is registered in Lerwick, however, it reportedly left Peterhead at the weekend.