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| Air rescue launched off Ireland | Air rescue launched off Ireland |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| An air rescue has been launched for a sailor injured on a cargo ship hundreds of miles off the west coast of Ireland. | An air rescue has been launched for a sailor injured on a cargo ship hundreds of miles off the west coast of Ireland. |
| The RAF said two aircraft and two helicopters were scrambled to aid the Burmese seaman, who was hurt when he plunged 40ft (12m) into a hold. | The RAF said two aircraft and two helicopters were scrambled to aid the Burmese seaman, who was hurt when he plunged 40ft (12m) into a hold. |
| A Nimrod aircraft was launched from RAF Kinloss in Scotland on Wednesday afternoon, said an RAF spokesman. | A Nimrod aircraft was launched from RAF Kinloss in Scotland on Wednesday afternoon, said an RAF spokesman. |
| The US Air Force reportedly launched a Hercules plane and two helicopters from its Lakenheath air base in East Anglia. | The US Air Force reportedly launched a Hercules plane and two helicopters from its Lakenheath air base in East Anglia. |
| The spokesman said the aircraft were expected to take the injured sailor to a hospital in Shannon, Ireland. | The spokesman said the aircraft were expected to take the injured sailor to a hospital in Shannon, Ireland. |
| It will take around two hours to airlift him to dry land, he added. | |
| The extent of the sailor's injuries is not known. | |
| Distance issue | |
| The cargo ship, the Anna Rickmers, was 600 miles (965km) off the Irish coast when the accident on the 28,000-tonne vessel was reported. | |
| Emergency services were alerted on Tuesday night but they first had to direct the ship into a particular area before launching their rescue efforts. | |
| The spokesman said: "We had an issue with how we pick somebody up from 600 miles off the coast. | |
| "It is out of the scope of most rescue helicopters." |