Icelanders visit port for service to mark rescue of trawler crew

The brother of one of the fishermen saved from a dinghy by a Grimsby trawler more than 50 years ago is among a delegation from Iceland visiting the port.

The 24-strong group from the Fishermen’s Union in Iceland’s Westmann Islands is attending a service and plaque unveiling at St James Church, Grimsby, today to mark the rescue by the Grimsby vessel Hull City of the crew of the Icelandic trawler Gladur in 1954.

Eight men had drifted 90 miles over two days in a wartime American rubber life raft after their ship was overwhelmed by the heavy seas often found around Iceland.

James Findlater, 82, who was a deckhand on board the Hull City at the time, will be at the service. Mr Findlater recalled: “We just saw them and picked them up. They weren’t too bad – one was in bare feet but he didn’t seem to notice.”

Mr Findlater said the attitude of trawler owners to safety in the old days was “sink or swim”. He said: “After that they started to put dinghies on board all the ships.”

Orn Jonsson, managing director of Grimsby-based Atlantic Fresh, said the visit had been sparked by the discovery of old footage of the rescue. He said: “This was one of the first rescues in a rubber dinghy. They were out of food and water for around two days.

“The Hull City brought the rubber dinghy with them into Grimsby and basically tried to show others how these guys were rescued. After that they became the norm. At that time people were going out and praying nothing happened.

“The group wants to show their gratitude because the history and relationship between Iceland and the Humber has been so strong over the years.”