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Rescue of ship captain abandoned Rescue of ship captain restarts
(30 minutes later)
Attempts to rescue a cargo ship captain who was seriously injured in a force 10 gale off the Isles of Scilly are to resume shortly. A fresh attempt to rescue a cargo ship captain who was seriously injured in a force 10 gale off the Isles of Scilly is under way.
An RAF Sea King helicopter crew battled high winds overnight in an attempt to rescue the Horncliff's skipper, but the attempt was abandoned as too dangerous. A rescue helicopter is flying towards the Horncliff, 70 miles south west of Land's End.
The helicopter spent an hour hovering over the ship trying to winch the man to safety 225 miles off the coast. An attempt to lift the captain off the ship was abandoned overnight after becoming too dangerous.
The ship is expected to arrive in Falmouth later. A helicopter spent an hour hovering over the ship trying to winch the man to safety.
The vessel, which is carrying fruit, had been travelling to Dover from Costa Rica. The ship is sailing towards Falmouth. It had been travelling to Dover carrying a cargo of fruit from Costa Rica.
He is safer where he is at the moment RAF Squadron Leader Barry Neilson It was deemed to be unsafe to either get the winchman on to the boat or to evacuate the casualty Sqn Ldr Barry Neilson
The captain is suffering from serious spinal injuries and internal bleeding, Falmouth coastguards said.The captain is suffering from serious spinal injuries and internal bleeding, Falmouth coastguards said.
The exact circumstances of how he suffered his injuries are unknown.The exact circumstances of how he suffered his injuries are unknown.
It is expected he will be flown to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
Two passengers on board have also been hurt - one with a broken hand and another with head injuries - but they are not thought to be serious.Two passengers on board have also been hurt - one with a broken hand and another with head injuries - but they are not thought to be serious.
The helicopter from RMB Chivenor reached the vessel just before 2100 GMT having refuelled in Cork in the Irish Republic. During the first rescue attempt, the helicopter from RMB Chivenor reached the vessel just before 2100 GMT having refuelled in Cork in the Irish Republic.
But after nearly an hour hovering over the ship trying to get the injured man off, assisted by a Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft from Scotland, the attempt had to be abandoned.But after nearly an hour hovering over the ship trying to get the injured man off, assisted by a Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft from Scotland, the attempt had to be abandoned.
Pitch blackPitch black
Flt Lt Jonathan Singh, the captain of the helicopter said the conditions were "horrendous".Flt Lt Jonathan Singh, the captain of the helicopter said the conditions were "horrendous".
"It's obviously pitch black out there, it's extremely dark with no sort of cultural lighting at all at that distance from land," he said."It's obviously pitch black out there, it's extremely dark with no sort of cultural lighting at all at that distance from land," he said.
"The sea swell was probably between 35 and 40ft and because the vessel had suffered some power failure it was unable to manoeuvre particularly well, which meant that it was stuck riding the swell."The sea swell was probably between 35 and 40ft and because the vessel had suffered some power failure it was unable to manoeuvre particularly well, which meant that it was stuck riding the swell.
"Not only was it pitching up and down 35 to 40ft, but it was also rolling by 20-25 degrees which made, you can appreciate, hovering over it extremely difficult.""Not only was it pitching up and down 35 to 40ft, but it was also rolling by 20-25 degrees which made, you can appreciate, hovering over it extremely difficult."
Sqn Ldr Barry Neilson said it was the type of rescue which only needed to be carried out about two or three times a year.Sqn Ldr Barry Neilson said it was the type of rescue which only needed to be carried out about two or three times a year.
'Balance the risks'
"It was deemed to be unsafe to either get the winchman on to the boat or to evacuate the casualty," he said."It was deemed to be unsafe to either get the winchman on to the boat or to evacuate the casualty," he said.
"Clearly if this guy does have spinal injuries, the last thing we want to do is bash him in any way.
"He is safer where he is at the moment. We have to balance the risks.
"We'll have another helicopter on standby at first light to go out to make another attempt to lift these casualties off the vessel."
Sqn Ldr Neilson said communication with the crew had not been easy because they did not speak good English.Sqn Ldr Neilson said communication with the crew had not been easy because they did not speak good English.
There are 31 passengers and crew on board the Horncliff.There are 31 passengers and crew on board the Horncliff.
Falmouth Coastguard said the vessel, which lost about 90 containers of fruit in the storm, had suffered some damage and was listing slightly, but there was no danger of it sinking.Falmouth Coastguard said the vessel, which lost about 90 containers of fruit in the storm, had suffered some damage and was listing slightly, but there was no danger of it sinking.
The Horncliff, a 12,887-tonne cargo ship which is flying the Liberian flag, was built in 1992.The Horncliff, a 12,887-tonne cargo ship which is flying the Liberian flag, was built in 1992.