This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/6090094.stm
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Search for missing fishing boat | Search for missing fishing boat |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A search is under way in the North Sea for a missing Fife fishing boat with four crew on board. | |
| The alarm was raised when staff at RAF Kinloss picked up a distress call at 2200 BST on Thursday from the Meridian, a boat from Kirkcaldy. | |
| The signal was broadcast from a location 160 miles east of Aberdeen in Norwegian waters. | The signal was broadcast from a location 160 miles east of Aberdeen in Norwegian waters. |
| An RAF Nimrod Search and Rescue aircraft was sent from Kinloss, along with a Sea King rescue helicopter. | |
| Three other fishing boats have joined the search, which is being carried out in Storm Force 10 conditions with winds gusting up to 80mph. | Three other fishing boats have joined the search, which is being carried out in Storm Force 10 conditions with winds gusting up to 80mph. |
| Three of the crew are from the Anstruther area while the fourth is from Aberdeen. | |
| 'Hope and pray' | 'Hope and pray' |
| A second Sea King from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland was scrambled at 0500 BST. | A second Sea King from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland was scrambled at 0500 BST. |
| Michael Mulford from the Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss said the Force 10 conditions which had raged through the night were beginning to abate. | Michael Mulford from the Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss said the Force 10 conditions which had raged through the night were beginning to abate. |
| He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Nimrod at the moment is doing a radar search using fairly sophisticated equipment but a daylight search involving the second Sea King helicopter from Northumberland will give us a fair amount of searching capability. | He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Nimrod at the moment is doing a radar search using fairly sophisticated equipment but a daylight search involving the second Sea King helicopter from Northumberland will give us a fair amount of searching capability. |
| "We also have three other fishing boats who are going backwards and forwards across this search area and we hope and pray that we will get some kind of positive news." | "We also have three other fishing boats who are going backwards and forwards across this search area and we hope and pray that we will get some kind of positive news." |
| If a boat has been missing for this number of hours in such horrendous conditions the outlook is bleak, it would be daft to say otherwise Bertie ArmstrongScottish Fishermen's Federation | |
| Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said fears were growing for the fishermen. | |
| "We're all sitting on our hands desperately waiting for news while the full might of maritime search and rescue is applied," he said. | |
| "The missing white fish boat is a member of one of our eight associations. There are a number of families with their hearts in their mouths right now hoping beyond hope. | |
| "There's absolutely no doubt that we have an extremely serious situation here. | |
| "If a boat has been missing for this number of hours in such horrendous conditions the outlook is bleak, it would be daft to say otherwise." | |
| Mr Armstrong said there are up to 200 other fishing boats at any one time in that part of the North Sea looking for haddock or prawns. |