AIDAnova Rescues Four From Burning Fishing Vessel in Skagerrak
The fishermen had abandoned the vessel for a liferaft before AIDAnova’s boat arrived, while Norwegian and Danish helicopters and SuperSpeed 1 also responded.
A boat launched from the AIDA cruise ship AIDAnova rescued four crewmembers from a burning Danish-flagged fishing vessel in the Skagerrak on Sunday afternoon, October 18. None of those rescued was reported injured, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Southern Norway.
The fishermen had abandoned their vessel for a liferaft before the cruise ship’s boat reached them. The incident, in Norwegian waters between Denmark and Norway, also drew a response from Norwegian and Danish helicopters, and Color Line’s ferry SuperSpeed 1 was diverted.
Rescue coordinator Per Ivar Austnaberg told Norwegian newspaper VG that smoke was spotted shortly after 15:00 local time. He later said flames had also been seen, and at 15:35 he confirmed that all four occupants had been recovered.
The Southern Norway centre, based at Sola near Stavanger, coordinated the rescue. A Norwegian rescue helicopter dispatched from Sola arrived at the scene at 15:23 but returned once everyone from the fishing vessel had been accounted for.
Christer Haven, a press adviser at the Danish Defence Command, said Norway’s coastal rescue service led the operation. A Danish helicopter remained on standby at the burning vessel.
SuperSpeed 1 was sailing toward Kristiansand when it was directed to the area, along with other civilian vessels nearby. The ferry was released from the response shortly after 15:30 and continued its crossing. A passenger told Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet that he estimated the diversion had delayed the journey by between one hour and 90 minutes.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The fishing vessel’s name and the nationalities of its rescued crew have not been disclosed.
