Trawler capsizing leaves one dead off Stavanger, Norway

Authorities in Norway have reported that one person has died as a result of a capsizing incident involving a foreign-flagged fishing vessel off the country’s southwestern coast on Sunday, March 6.

The UK-registered trawler Njord, which is homeported in Peterhead in Scotland, was in the North Sea some 100 nautical miles off Stavanger when the incident occurred.

The Norwegian Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) despatched search and rescue (SAR) helicopters and requested any nearby vessels to proceed to the trawler’s last reported location shortly after its emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) was activated at around 13:39 local time on Sunday.

The SAR personnel who were the first to arrive said they saw all eight of Njord‘s crew standing on the keel of their overturned vessel.

An official of the JRCC said three of the crewmen had suffered diesel inhalation and needed to be airlifted to hospital. Tragically, one of the three individuals who were airlifted was later pronounced dead.

The five other survivors were subsequently picked up by the crew of an offshore support vessel that had also sailed to the area to render assistance.

The JRCC said there was no radio contact with Njord‘s crew just prior to the capsizing but they knew that the trawler was in distress following the activation of its EPIRB.